Daijiworld Media Network - Chandigarh

Chandigarh, May 18: Jagmohan Singh Raju, general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Punjab, has written to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann seeking financial incentives for young Sikh couples to encourage larger families.

In his letter to the Chief Minister, Raju suggested that the Punjab government introduce a policy similar to the one recently announced by the Andhra Pradesh government, which offers incentives for families having third and fourth children.

“Every Sikh family in Punjab should have four children,” Raju stated in the letter.

He pointed out that the Sikh community is a constitutionally recognised minority in India and claimed that fertility rates among Sikhs were among the lowest compared to other major communities in the country.

Citing National Family Health Survey data, Raju said the Sikh population share in Punjab had declined from 62.95 per cent in 1991 to 57.69 per cent in the 2011 Census.

He expressed concern over what he described as a continuing demographic decline and said it posed challenges to the social and cultural future of the Sikh community in the state.

“This demographic decline is a serious matter of concern for the social and cultural future of the Sikh community in Punjab,” he wrote.

Raju further stated that such incentives would help preserve the “social, cultural and demographic strength” of the Sikh community, which he described as patriotic and significant in India’s freedom struggle, defence, agriculture and national development.

However, when contacted, Raju clarified that the proposal reflected his personal opinion and not the official stand of the BJP.

He said changing demographics in Punjab and discussions around population representation in southern states had influenced his views on the issue.