Get Sterilized, Receive A Tata Nano

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

With a massively growing population, and no Chinese-style national one-child policy in place, sterilization campaigns in India’s provinces and municipalities are far from uncommon. But now, in the Rajasthani district of Jhunjhunu, officials in charge of sterilization campigns have found a new incentive to encourage Indians to undergo the procedure: the subcontinents growing obsession with automobiles. Britain’s The Independent was the first Western news outlet to report on the scheme, which offers those undergoing sterilization

a coupon for a forthcoming raffle, with prizes including a Tata Nano car, motorbikes and electric food blenders.

The prizes for the Jhunjhunu raffle were donated by a local university, and because compensation for sterilization is technically illegal in India, a Tata Motors spokesman tells the New York Times that

The Rajasthan initiative you are referring to — we are not sure whether it is a government or a private initiative – has got nothing to do with Tata Motors or its dealers. We have not been aware whether this is being shown as endorsed by the company.

Tata says it will “look into” the scheme, but with sales of “India’s Model T” flagging, even this questionable promotion might well be welcome. After all, many Rajasthanis seem to grasp the practical benefits of sterilization, but have a hard time finding the motivation to leave farms in order to receive the surgery. One woman, interviewed by The Independent, seemed to sum up the mood:

Ms Kumar explained how she had opted for the operation for purely practical reasons. But she admitted she was excited by the prospect of the raffle. She said: “If I am to win anything, I hope it is the car.”

In modern India, where booming sales of ultra-cheap cars conceal the reality that millions remain without mobility, it seems that the offer of even the cheapest car on the market is motivation enough to forgo having children.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • VanillaDude VanillaDude on Aug 22, 2011

    I believe in sterilization for everyone who advocates it. We definately need less of those kinds of people. More for the rest of us. Let them drive Tatas, I prefer the real ones.

    • Robert.Walter Robert.Walter on Aug 22, 2011

      Bear in-mind dude, this (as portrayed) is not some kind of Nazi-esque eugenics-driven sterilization of the weaker members of society (of course I'm speaking of ill, old, mentally- or physically-handicapped, but not "in the economic sense"). This is an offer (hopefully) mature and rational members of society to undertake a voluntary measure. I can even see how a husband & wife might convince each other that they already have enough children and the opportunity is worth the chance. Even a massive transfer of western jobs and wealth to developing nations will not lift them out of poverty faster than their birth rate will weigh them down, and a vast number of measures (of which this is but one) will have to be deployed to sink that quotient. I might add, that the west has already done its part here, in that with the growth of western affluence, the birth rate has (not in all places of course) flattened (w. Europe), or even gone negative (Japan), so it will be necessary for developing countries to seriously take a look at their population situations before 1) their economies start to grow and demand resources to do so, and 2) before uncontrolled population growth takes the whole world down the drain (economically, environmentally, and stability-wise.) I hope they have good surgeons.

  • Robert.Walter Robert.Walter on Aug 22, 2011

    Isn't this superfluous? (I say this only half-tounge-in-cheek.) I mean given that the abortion of female fetuses is on the rise there (becase everyone wants a boy), it would seem that a de-facto voluntary 50% policy is already in force. After it runs for a generation, there will be significantly fewer females left to breed.

  • Ajla Both Biden and Trump are on record caring ~0% what the WTO says and the US government isn't bound by WTO rulings.
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  • Cprescott Fisker is another brand that Heir Yutz has killed.
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  • 1995 SC Are there any mitigation systems that would have prevented this though? We had a ship hit a bridge in Jacksonville a few years back and it was basically dumb luck it didn't collapse. This looked like a direct hit.
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