New Delhi: Fortune favours the brave, everyone has heard it. But in Mizoram a woman – who gave birth to 15 children – was given the 'highest award' of Rs 1 lakh and honoured with a citation.
This happened in Mizoram's Tuithiang locality under Aizawl East-II assembly constituency; and the unique honour was bestowed by the state Sports Minister Robert Romawia Royte, the local elected legislator.
The excuse or reason is that the native Mizo population is dwindling and hence women like her need to be awarded and honoured. The unprecedented show had the backing of influential Young Mizo Association (YMA) and a Presbyterian Church leader Rev. P M Manikama.
Sports Minister, Robert Romawia Royte, also loves to be called 'Triple R', in fact has distributed Rs 2.5 lakh to 17 women who delivered 'more children' at a function held within his Aizawl East-II constituency on Tuesday. Royte belongs to Mizo National Front, the party led by state Chief Minister Zoramthanga.
Royte said that the incentives to mothers were given in accordance with 'more children rive' launched by different church bodies and denominations and the Young Mizo Association (YMA). This 'adventurism' or gesture is nothing new in Mizoram.
In 2018, a Baptist church in Lunglei district town announced incentives to encourage couples to have more babies in an effort to check their dwindling numbers.
Of course, this disregards the national policy to control the population.
The church in remote Lunglei town had said it will pay families a one-time cash assistance of Rs 4,000 for a fourth child and an additional Rs 1,000 rupees for each new child.
The Young Mizo Association had endorsed this move as well.
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