Entertainment
India’s powerful Hindu group chief urges three-child families as fertility rates fall
- Declining fertility rates pose demographic risks.
- Bhagwat calls for population ‘controlled, yet sufficient’ balance.
- RSS leader calls on Muslims to overcome fear, build mutual trust.
NEW DELHI: The head of India’s powerful Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said that Indian families must have three children each, warning about the long-term risks from the current trend of declining birth rates.
At 1.46 billion, India is the world’s most populous nation but the total fertility rate has dropped to less than two children per woman, according to the UN Population Fund’s 2025 report, as economic growth gathers momentum.
Mohan Bhagwat, chief of the RSS that is the ideological parent of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, said the population must remain “controlled, yet sufficient”.
Speaking at a lecture to mark the 100 years of the founding of the RSS on Thursday, Bhagwat suggested that “in the national interest, every family should have three children and limit themselves to that”.
His call for larger families reflects anxiety among nationalist leaders and some regional politicians about long-term demographic stability, national capacity, and cultural identity.
For years hardline Hindu groups have pointed to higher birth rates among minority groups such as Muslims as a cause of concern although data shows Indian Muslims are also having fewer children than in the past.
Bhagwat too said birth rates were declining across religious groups.
While the RSS officially describes itself as a cultural organisation promoting Hindu values, it wields enormous influence through its vast network of affiliates and millions of grassroots volunteers.
Many of Modi’s senior ministers, including the prime minister himself, are long-time members of the RSS.
Analysts say BJP’s policy priorities — from cultural and education reform to citizenship laws — frequently echo positions championed by the RSS, making the organisation one of the most powerful civil society groups in the world.
Bhagwat rejected criticism that the RSS was opposed to Muslims — who make up about 14% of India’s population — and other minorities saying the organisation viewed all of them as Indians.
“Our ancestors and culture are the same. Worship practices may differ, but our identity is one. Changing religion does not change one’s community,” he said.
“Mutual trust must be built on all sides. Muslims must overcome the fear that joining hands with others will erase their religion.”
King Charles has opted not to deliver an Easter message this year that has left at least one senior church figure openly dismayed and questioning whether the Palace has misread the national sentiment.
Bishop Ceirion H Dewar describing himself as “bitterly disappointed” and warning the monarch that the decision risks falling out of step with public expectations.
While Buckingham Palace clarified that an Easter broadcast is not a fixed royal tradition in the way the Christmas address is, the bishop argued that the King has, in recent years, created his own precedent by marking the occasion.
Speaking candidly, the bishop suggested the absence of a message would leave many feeling overlooked, especially given the King’s title as Defender of the Faith.
He went further, claiming the choice could deepen concerns already circulating among Christians across the Commonwealth.
This latest criticism follows a letter Dewar sent directly to the Palace later made public in which he raised worries about how Christianity is represented in royal messaging.
That letter has since gathered thousands of signatures, turning a personal appeal into a growing campaign.
Some observers reading the unusual royal silence as a sign of possible strain.
Traditionally, the monarch has marked major Christian holidays with a public message, but this year Buckingham Palace confirmed no Easter address will be released.
Royal watchers worry that the break in tradition could hint at personal or health-related pressures weighing on His Majesty.
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- PTI says new rates compounded by additional levies.
- Rana Sanaullah urges opposition to rise above politics.
- Subsidies, relief announced for public: Sanaullah.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced plans to convene an All Parties Conference (APC) of “like-minded” parties in response to the massive hike in petroleum product prices.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan made the announcement during a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, slamming the PML-N-led government for the sharp increase in fuel prices.
While acknowledging the impact of the war in the Middle East, he said that the government has raised fuel prices excessively, even surpassing increases seen in Nigeria and Vietnam.
The PTI’s announcement comes following Thursday’s sharp increase in the prices of petroleum products.
Addressing a press conference along with Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Petroleum Ali Pervaiz Malik announced the hike in petrol and diesel prices, citing rising global energy costs, triggered by the ongoing war in the Middle East.
“The new petrol price has been fixed at Rs458.41 per litre, marking a rise of Rs137.23 per litre. Diesel will now cost Rs520.35 per litre, up by Rs184.49 per litre,” he said.
However, the PTI rejected the hike, with party leaders saying the new rates were compounded by additional levies.
Speaking during today’s press conference, PTI leader Taimur Saleem Jhagra said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had previously announced the lowering of fuel prices himself.
“Today, the prime minister cannot face the public,” he added.
Jhagra alleged that the increase in prices was amplified by extra levies, including a rise in customs duties.
However, PM’s adviser Rana Sanaullah defended the recent measures on fuel pricing, emphasising subsidies and relief announced for the public.
In a televised address, Sanaullah said that a “few elements were trying to mislead the public” in the current conditions.
He urged the opposition to rise above political interests and cooperate with the government to strengthen the country.
Sanaullah explained that austerity measures and targeted relief were being implemented, saying the prime minister chaired a meeting on Thursday to ensure citizens receive relief.
Farmers and motorcyclists are being supported, and subsidies aimed at stabilising goods transport costs, he added.
Sanaullah said that the government made all efforts to keep prices down despite regional tensions causing fuel cost increases.
He warned that a prolonged Middle East conflict could have severe consequences worldwide, including for Pakistan.
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