We get tired of repeating the proven adage “India is a land of paradox”. Case in point [BBC]
Health officials in the Indian state of Rajasthan are launching a new campaign in an effort to reduce the high population growth in the area. They are encouraging men and women to volunteer for sterilisation, and in return are offering a car and other prizes for those who come forward.
Of course, the prizes are also in keeping with our “cost-conscious” nature”
Among the rewards on offer is the Indian-made Tata Nano – the world’s cheapest car.
While not along the lines of Sanjay Gandhi’s alleged forced sterilization program, there is still something Orwellian about the government bribing people to make changes to their reproductive organs, however well-intentioned it might be.
And why is this paradoxical? While Rajasthan is bribing people to sterilize themselves, across the country, our good ole’ friends the Khasi tribe were paying couples Rs. 1000 per child to produce more children.