Is Thomas Malthus really a False Prophet?

By Aariana Parikh

World Population Day, observed on 11th July every year, generally seeks to attract attention towards the importance of issues related to population but, in the same vein, raises a poser that questions the dubbing of Thomas Malthus as a pessimist and a False Prophet. Where was he wrong when he said that a long as food supply and population growth were in tandem, there was no cause for alarm but once the food supply that grows in slow arithmetic progression fell short of the population progression that grows in rapid, geometric progression, the world would see war, disease, pestilence and general degradation of values until parity prevailed between supply and population growth. The offshoot and more optimistic theory, Modern Theory of Population, was more attractive and to an extent, true but seeing the unbridled growth of population and its constant fallout, one tends to re-examine if Thomas Malthus was really a False Prophet.

 It is alarming that the population today has reached in the vicinity of seven billion and is exponentially increasing every year. Intrigued by this, I conducted a research to estimate the population enhancement towards the end of this year and found that it would bulge to more than eight billion.

In 1987, the UN established the five billion day to acknowledge the reach of an estimated five billion population on our planet. Ever since, the population graph has moved upward.

An increase in the population causes other associated issues such as family planning, gender equality, pollution, landlessness and environmental impacts to human rights concerns.

Considering that there is a scarcity of resources in the world and they are being used in an unsustainable manner, an increasing rate of population is a serious threat. Emphasis is placed on raising awareness about how population growth affects development and the environment.

The growing population also bring to fore the importance of catering to the health issues that women from underprivileged section experience during pregnancy and childbirth, underscoring the lack of proper facilities and nutrition along with over-crowded government hospitals.

Population pressure is also putting a strain on society, as educated youth in the country remains unemployed. As a result, crimes rates are going up as well as the vicious circle of poverty continue to plague the masses. It also results in social evils like human trafficking and child labour. Since there is a lack of exposure in remote villages about contraception and protection, women sexual and overall health is at high risk due to high number of pregnancies.

World Population Day is observed around the globe to encourage male and female adolescence. It also informs and encourages youth about how to avoid sexually transmitted illnesses or infections, use appropriate and youth-friendly ways for avoiding unplanned pregnancies at a young age. Furthermore, it put emphasis for both boys and girls to gain elementary education.

Additionally, it guarantees that every couple can easily obtain services for reproductive health. It calls for specific regulations to safeguard a girl child’s rights.

Most importantly, it provides information on sexuality.

In conclusion, raising awareness on issues related to reproduction is the main goal of World Population Day. Additionally, by educating the youth about sex and related issues, would empower them.

(Aariana is a class 9 student at Indus International School, Bangalore. The views expressed are personal.)