The issue of population growth has sparked a heated debate in southern India, following recent remarks by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Andhra Pradesh’s N. Chandrababu Naidu. Both leaders touched upon the sensitive subject of population dynamics and their impact on political representation, particularly in light of the upcoming Lok Sabha delimitation exercise.
Speaking at a mass marriage event in Chennai on October 21, Stalin referenced a traditional Tamil blessing—“pathinarum petru peru vazhvu vazhga”, meaning “acquire 16 kinds of wealth and lead a prosperous life”—to address concerns about the impact of the delimitation process, which is set to redraw India’s electoral map based on population.
“The delimitation process may make people think about raising many children,” Stalin said, alluding to fears that southern states, which have successfully implemented population control measures, may lose political representation. However, he clarified that the ancient blessing referred to prosperity, not children, and urged couples to continue embracing small families for a better quality of life. “But whatever the outcome, provide Tamil names to your children,” he added.
Stalin’s comments follow Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s call on October 19 for couples to have more children, citing concerns about the state’s declining birth rate. Naidu warned that Andhra Pradesh’s birth rate, now at 1.6, could drop further, leading to a disproportionately aging population after 2047. “If less than two children are born per woman, the population will decline,” he stated at a public meeting in Amravati.
Naidu’s remarks have drawn mixed reactions. Jupudi Prabhakar Rao, a senior leader from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), questioned Naidu’s past advocacy for population control. “What about himself? He has only one son,” Rao said, criticizing Naidu’s inconsistency on the issue.
However, the Andhra Pradesh Congress supported Naidu’s stance, linking the call to concerns over the upcoming delimitation process. Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Vice President Kolanukonda Sivaji noted that the declining birth rate in southern states could lead to a reduction in the number of parliamentary seats, which would shift political power to northern states with higher population growth. “Naidu’s call is in the best interest of South India,” Sivaji said, suggesting that increasing the population could help southern states retain their representation in Parliament.
Both Stalin and Naidu’s remarks highlight growing unease in southern India over the Lok Sabha delimitation process, which many fear could penalize states that have successfully controlled their populations while rewarding those with higher birth rates. In February, the Tamil Nadu Assembly passed a resolution opposing the delimitation process, reflecting widespread concern that the electoral balance could shift northward as a result.
