Kerala bishops oppose state family planning bill

A state family planning bill, which penalises large families in Kerala, has received strong reactions from the Catholic community. The Bishops in the state said they would fully oppose the state legislation that restricts larger families.

"We will protest at all levels to ensure that this draconian proposal would never be passed," said Syro–Malabar Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur, secretary of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC).

"If the government is serious about this bill, we will spare no effort to oppose it," he added. "This (bill) violates the fundamental freedom guaranteed under the constitution."

The archbishop who feels the bill is not a serious move said it was more a 'publicity stunt'.

According to the Kerala Family Planning and Control Bill, families having a third child will be fined 10,000 Rs ($240). In addition, families will also be denied free education and treatment in government hospitals. The legislation even recommends punishing those calling for more children in the name of religion or caste.

In a bid to increase the Christian population, the Bishops had earlier suggested families to have more children and that the Church would provide financial assistance. This has snowballed into a controversy, causing divides between the Government and the Church.

The last two national censuses taken in 1991 and 2001, shows the Christian community in Kerala shrank slightly in terms of population percentage. Fifty years ago, the Christian population of Kerala was 24%, while now it is 19%.