No question of withdrawing two child norm, says Iyer

Thursday, September 29, 2011: Unfazed by protests from different communities, former Supreme Court judge Justice V R Krishna Iyer has said there was no question of withdrawing a two child norm recommended by a commission headed by him.

There was no reason for the State Commission on”Rights and Welfare of Women and Children”to fear anyone and it would not withdraw the recommendation on birth control, justice Iyer told reporters here. The commission has recommended a two child norm with cash incentives of Rs 50,000 being prescribed for women below poverty line who marry after the age of 19 and have their first child after they attain the age of 20.

In its over 90 page report, the commission had stated that”within the scope of a lawful wedlock, solemnised after the date of commencement of this Code, each unit of husband and wife shall limit its children to two for entitlement to the advantages the state grants to the members of a family.”

Some Christian, Muslim and Hindu communities have expressed strong reservations over the recommendations. While Kerala Catholic Bishops Council President Archbishop Andrews Thazhath feels parents have to decide how many children they want and neither the state nor administrators can interfere in it.

Syro Malabar church spokesperson Father Paul Thelekat has said no democratic country will implement such a policy. While the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a Muslim organisation, described the proposal as’outdated’, Indian Union Muslim League says it violated liberty and fundamental rights.

Kerala Ameer of the Jamaat, T Arif Ali opined that the recommendation would violate human rights. Hindu Aikya Vedi feels the bill would be disadvantageous to the Hindu community. Vedi secretary, Kummanam Rajasekharan claims that if implemented, it would have’disastrous effect’on Hindus.