On one of my recent train trips Delhi-Chennai-Bangalore-Delhi, I couldn’t help but contemplate the amount of uninhabited land that one comes across. With that kind of land, one wonders why we cry of overpopulation? Is it because we intellectuals sit in overcrowded cities and think that the problem is of overpopulation! Missing the wood for the trees?
We did a little basic calculation. If you provide every family in India a 1200 sq ft flat and lay them side by side and take into account factors like habitable land in India, ecological footprint etc, we could all live in the state of Meghalaya. Is there really any such problem as overpopulation? Or is it one more convenient excuse of the state for its past poor performance and future garnering of resources?
Post Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in this essay are those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of CCS.
