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.