Manipur has followed Assam in restricting the number of children for a family to be eligible for government jobs or beneficiary schemes.
The Assam government had more than a year ago issued an order barring any person with more than two children on or after January 1, 2021, from single or multiple partners from government jobs.
On October 13, the Nongthombam Biren Singh Cabinet in Manipur decided to exclude any person with more than four children from government schemes and beneficiary programmes. This decision was taken along with the approval for establishing the Manipur State Population Commission.
The State’s Information Minister, S. Ranjan told journalists after the Cabinet meeting that under the population commission, the family of any man who sires more than four children will not be eligible for government benefits “from now on”.
“The State Assembly had earlier adopted a private member resolution to establish the population commission in Manipur,” he said.
Bharatiya Janata Party MLA, Khumukcham Joykisan had moved the resolution over the alleged infiltration of outsiders into the State. Citing official data, he said that the population growth of 153.3% in Manipur’s hill districts from 1971-2001 increased drastically to 250% from 2001-2011.
The hill districts are inhabited primarily by ethnic communities clubbed as Naga, Kuki and Zomi.
The cabinet decision, apparently aimed at population control, is at variance with an almost decade-old annual contest in Manipur entailing cash awards for women with at least 10 children.
The award function was initially organised by Iramdam Kunba Apunba Lup, a group that encouraged Manipuri women to give births to more and more children.
