The biggest myth, of course, is that India is a largely vegetarian country. For a long time, India has been “assumed”as primarily vegetarian, and particularly beef-disdaining, society. Such a representation has had obvious consequences over the last century or so, and much more recently in the openly toxic mixture of communalism and casteism. The extent of overall vegetarianism is much less than common claims and stereotypes suggest; survey estimates show that between 23% and 37% of the population of India is vegetarian. It means that more than two thirds of India in non vegetarian in is food habits.

Thus, far from being a vegetarian nation, India is a meat-eating majority nation. The notion of ‘non-vegetarian’ and the discourse around vegetarianism, then, reflect the hegemony enjoyed (thus far) by the ‘minority’ vegetarian population. Apart from Jains (nearly all vegetarian) and Sikhs (majority vegetarian), no other religious category is majority vegetarian. Hindus – by far the largest group in the population – are majority meat-eaters. This is a myth buster and moment of truth for vigilantes and meat hating minority population and being in power, it is hegemonic.

Hindus, who make up 80% of the Indian population, are major meat-eaters. Even only a quarter of the privileged, upper-caste Indians are vegetarian. At least 7% of Indians eat beef, according to government surveys. But there is evidence to show that some of the official data is considerably under-reported because beef is caught in cultural political and group identity struggles in India. Beef is not a taboo in Kerala, North East, and Tribal Population.  Muslim & Christian groups that are more than 20% of population are majorly beef eater. So the 7% beef eating population is seriously questionable.

Meat eating in India is a complex issue, with many facets. However, recent trends and figures certainly seem to indicate one thing: it is a mistake to label India as a vegetarian nation.

There’s no meat to the argument that India is a vegetarian nation.

 

If population of India as per density benchmark with US of A is taken as a reference, then to attain the US population density, India would need the land mass shown in the map in red.

It is a perspective that is rather unusual and yet not complicated at all and visually appaling and alarming. How much crammed we are in India? Well much more than we usually contemplate.

Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in United States was reported at 35.71 sq. Km in 2018, according to the World Bank development indicators.

As per Statista, amongst the most credible data sources for the world, the population density of India is 454.94 on the same time scale of 2018.

While the top two cities of India are world’s most densely populated place on planet earth- Mumbai & Kolkata occupying slot #1 & #2 .

While Mumbai holds 76,800 people per square mile, Kolkata is just following with 61,975 per square mile.

Can we call it democratic dividend or is it democratic forfeiture?

Compared, in developed world the population in cities of Tokyo is 12,296, Barcelona is 12,625, Tel Aviv is 13,150, London is 13,210, and Osaka is 16,592.

Not a single American city ranks among the top 50 most densely populated urban areas in the world.

Overpopulation is one of the hazards & serious problem, which creates a great obstacle in the way of national development. Primary reason for that India has languished for decades. 

Many reasons are clear and needs no debate unless one needs clarity on concepts.

• The employment generation rate is negligible as compared to needs, which ultimately results into low income groups depending upon single earning person.
• Reduced standard of living. The slum areas, starvation and frequently epidemics are the results affecting health and standard of persons within such nation.
• The growing population needs residence and shelter. This has greatly denuded the green cover of a nation by cutting forest to make a place to live.
• The consequential damage is of environment in totality & only accelerated by reckless urbanisation and irresponsible industrialisation.
• India’s forest denudation & environmental issues are political game would need a detailed post later that I would do.
• The education & its quality have acutely suffered in India due to huge population pressure. It has become a sham and a scam.
• To placate the poor and to entice their children to go to school a meal programme (mostly scam game) is run, as if attending school is the only motto of education & not learning per se.
• More people living in unhygienic condition have resulted in continuous cycle of illness like Dengue, Malaria, gastrointestinal, environmental comorbidity which has affected most Indian in rural and urban areas.
• Worst, government has almost given up on birth control initiative and our semi literate to illiterate politicians openly seek Hindus to have more children to match the Muslim population, without realising that Hindu in India are almost 100 crores (a crore is ten million) akin Muslims 20 crores. It is just vote bank politics and fear of 1975 to 1977 type backlash by voters. How foolish.

The problems of over populations are a million times more complex than just a few bullet points, it is just a contour without the gory details and lesser evil of morbidity, but that doesn’t shrink and eliminate the problems.

Are Muslims responsible for India’s population explosion?

Well Hindutva poster boys would not like my study & findings.

The fact is that Muslims contributed 14.6% (1901-2011), 16.1% (1951-2011) and 16.7% (1971-2011) to India’s population growth. The contribution of Hindus, on the other hand, was 79.4%, 78% and 77.4% and that of the rest was 6%, 5.9% and 5.9% during these periods.

In 1901, Hindus outnumbered Muslims in India by 164 million; by 268 million in 1951; 392 million in 1971; and by 794 million in 2011. So, despite a lower growth rate, but a much higher population, the numerical advantage of Hindus has grown over the years, rather than the other way round.

At the same time, the population growth rate of Muslims has been declining since 1971 – from 30.9% during 1961-71 to 24.6% during 2001-11.

If population explosion is what you are concerned about, do not bother about the Muslims so much.

Furthermore, Total Fertility Rate declined by 40.8% among Muslims vis-à-vis 35.7% at the national level and 35.5% among Hindus. It would decline further if their socioeconomic characteristics, sense of security, etc improve.

Only 9.2% of Muslim females aged 6+ years vis-à-vis 14% Hindu females had 12 or more years of schooling; for males, it was 12.7% and 21% respectively.

Recently, 25.4% Muslims and 21.9% Hindus were below the poverty line.

Despite differentials in socioeconomic deprivation, the situation of both Hindus and Muslims is worrisome, and this is what needs to be addressed to stop the population exploding further.

The nation needs to be redeemed for the betterment of people and that can be done by conscious people and sensitive government, provided government believes in giving a better life and better affordable education to one and all.

At least here the nation needs to be absolutely secular.

ONLY 5% OF THE WORLD LIVES IN BLUE AREA & ALSO 5% LIVES IN THE TINY SLIVER OF RED

 

Status is online

RAJEEV PANDEY

Brave & Bold Enough

21 articles

India recorded an average of 87 rape cases daily in 2019 and overall 4,05,861 cases of crime against women during the year, a rise of over 7% from 2018, the latest government data released on September 29, 2020.

The country recorded 3,78,236 cases of crimes against women in 2018, the data compiled by the National Crime Records Bureau showed.

UP has decidedly won the crown for decades. Earlier in eighties, it was bride burning in western UP zones, then incessant cases of atrocities against women and probably, tops the world in such cases & of course beats India hands down.

There are 47 countries with a population of less than 250,000 & UP has more crime against women than the population of such country.

What a deterioration we have seen in social transition & decadence in less than 50 years of a state that has given four Prime Minister of India, including the current one.

U.P. need a series of policy interventions and political commitments.

One, governance in Uttar Pradesh must improve. This is necessary to establish credibility of state’s institutions to deliver results on their promises. A consensus is that its machinery is not capable of delivering, which is fact as long as it is fighting the social caste dominances between Thakurs, Brahmins, Yadavs & Dalits combined.

In UP, corruption must be minimised through policy interventions and simplified procedures. Chief ministers must have a personal image of uprightness, which should be reflected in public office holders who are selected by them. Today the CM is more of a Hindu poster boy of anarchy and fundamentalism.

It is easy to change a dress and dress up the rivers and the monuments, but to change character of a state that is now monikered as the Rape State of the world, would take much more than gag & "Thai Thai" culture of shooting & killing the 'Goons'.

I personally do not see any redemptions , unless social animosity and casteist bitterness is minimised. Today it is pipe dream.

Let us see how stretched this today is. Or if there is a tomorrow? Clearly there is, provided we honestly delve to minimise it by state restructuring & reengineering-

Size of the state, which is not conducive to good governance so that needs structural adjustments.

It has four clear regions: western UP, central UP, eastern UP and Bundelkhand. While the east and west regions have 28-30 districts each, the central region has mere a ten districts and Bundelkhand seven.

Governing from a central point of the state capital requires a thorough knowledge and problems of each part and knowing the officers well. This is impossible for any chief minister or any minister or any Administrative Office.

Finally, politicians are not fully acquainted even with the political grassroots leaders of different areas. Policies are often not suited to many regions, which have widely different problems needing local solution.

So to redeem U.P. it needs surgery at pathological level and ruthlessness. Soone it is done, better it is for the state, else the state would languish and people would suffer.

It is a short commentary from me on a State that I usually never do. But U.P. has been an introspection point in Indian polity , having the largest population, amongst the poorest demographic dividends of states, politically volatile, culturaly diverse and divisive.

If that doesn't need care& attention from India , then who would?