The mind remains imprisoned

After putting a curb on child birth through its One-child policy, it was in 2015 that the Chinese Govt lifted this restriction and allowed “two children”. And now we have the “official” numbers – as at 22nd Jan, the National Health and Family Planning Commission said that 18.5m babies had been born in Chinese hospitals in 2016, the highest since 2000—an 11.5% increase over 2015. Of the new babies, 45% were second children, up from around 30% before 2013, suggesting the policy change had made a difference.

China, 30 years ago was worried about its rising population and this brought in the One-Child policy. Today, they have a new problem on hand – fewer children and more old citizens. One in seven of the population in China today is over 60 and if the same trend continues, by 2050, the share will rise to more than one-third. It was to counter this problem that the Govt ushered in the two-child policy.

But the propaganda of one-child is well ingrained into the minds that many continue to feel that one is enough, given the mounting cost of living. Many say that this rise in population could be attributed to two reasons – 2016 was year of money and it is considered auspicious to have a child but this year, beginning 28th Jan, is the year of the chicken and not really propitious for having a child. This apart, many say, it was like a dam breaking – all those pent up emotions of having two children gave way and thus what we saw in 2016 could be just a spike.

This is what years and years of hearing the same thing does to you – even when freedom comes calling, your mind is happy in the state of imprisonment. Maybe the Chinese will now have to use some reverse propaganda to undo what it did for 30 years.