Daily Archives: April 2, 2022

Gone are the days of one man and one woman being the only definition of what a relationship can look like. Which is great, of course, because as we know, there are a whole lot of ways to show and experience love, most of which transcend traditional (and outdated, tbh) views on gender and sexuality. And while the ever-evolving landscape of relationships is v exciting, it can also get a little confusing, especially since a lot of terms sound similar. Take polygamy vs. polyamory, for example. The romantic labels may look almost identical, but they mean two very different things.

Polyamory is the state, practice, or orientation of having multiple sexual and/or romantic relationships simultaneously, with the full knowledge and consent of everyone involved, explains Heath Schechinger, PhD, a counseling psychologist at the University of California, Berkeley. Polygamy refers to being married to multiple spouses at the same time.

In both cases, there are multiple partners or love interests involved, notes holistic sex educator, coach, and host of The Labia Lounge podcast, Freya Graf. This is where the poly prefixwhich means many in Greekcomes in, she explains.

But despite what they have in common, there are actually a lot of differences between polygamy and polyamory. And since polyamory is becoming more popular in mainstream media and modern dating, its important to know what poly partnerships are all about and the ways in which they're different.

From their histories, to their cultural reception, to how to have a happy and healthy non-monogamous relationship, we reached out to experts for all you need to know about polygamy and polyamory.

Since polyamory and polygamy look very similar on paper, it can be hard to remember what they each mean, but the distinction is important because theyre culturally quite different, says Schechinger. Essentially:

Polyamory = having multiple *consensual* romantic/intimate relationships at once. Its an intentional type of non-monogamy conducted in a loving, considerate, mature, and respectful container with guidelines that all parties involved agree upon and communicate clearly about, says Graf. The genders and sexual orientations of partners arent prescribed.

Polygamy = another form of non-monogamy where one person has multiple spouses. Polygyny describes when a man has multiple wedded wives, and polyandry refers to a woman having wedded husbands, explains Schechinger. Typically, polygamy refers to cisgender heterosexual men being married to multiple cisgender women.

Furthermore, polygamywhich is illegal in the United Stateswas (and sometimes can still be) practiced by some cultures and religions hundreds of years ago, including in Islam and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Polyamory has no historical ties to religion.

Polyamory is rooted in feminism, gender equity, and flat power structures, while polygamy is rooted in religious fundamentalism and complementarianism where men and women are prescribed different but complementary roles and responsibilities in the marriage, family, and religious leadership, Schechinger explains.

Sometimes! Just like how every monogamous relationship is different, so are polygamous and polyamorous relationships. While open relationships are culturally more similar to polyamory than polygamy, the difference typically refers to the emotional component, Graf says.

In poly setups, there may be multiple long-term, committed, deeply loving and invested relationships, [whereas] in an open relationship there exists a freedom to explore sexually with others but usually involves boundaries about becoming emotionally involved or attached to any lovers outside of the primary couple, she explains.

So open relationships focus more on the physical side of things and typically dont involve anything emotional outside of the core relationship, while poly partnerships are usually both physical and emotional. That doesnt mean a polyamorous or polygamous family cant also be open, but being in an open relationship is a separate concept.

According to both Graf and Schechinger, there are a lot of reasons why someone might want to venture into consensual poly territory. For some, its about being more authentic to themselves. For others, its about wanting to expand their network of support. And, for some, its also about sex.

For the overwhelming majority, however, being in a consensually non-monogamous relationship is about being honest, meeting other like-minded people, improving the quality of romantic relationships, and getting to know oneself better, Schechinger explains.

Also, humans arent actually naturally wired to be monogamous, notes Graf, so many people struggle to remain faithful or continue to be satisfied in one monogamous relationship. Polyamory allows them to be consensually true to themselves and their desires.

Polyamory is more accepted in western culture than polygamy is. According to Graf, this is because polyamory typically isnt religion-based, and usually stems from a mutual arrangement centered around informed consent. Polyamory done right involves an incredible amount of respect, mature communication, healthy and clear boundaries, love and commitment." Its easier for modern progressives to accept and understand that" over the concept of polygamy, says Graf.

On the flip side, Graf says polygamy is often considered sexiest, unethical, and even barbaric in western society because its more common for polygamy to mean one man having multiple wives. In fact, while Schechinger says polygamy is legal in over 50 sovereign states worldwide, in most of them, polygyny (multiple wedded wives) is allowed but polyandry (multiple legal husbands) is illegal.

That said, some cultural traditions and religious practices are deeply ingrained in the people who believe in them, and we can't possibly understand it fully from the outside, says Graf. And while polyamory is starting to become more accepted in our society (and TV), Schechinger notes polyamorous partnerships still face many obstacles, such as a lack of the financial benefits couples receive, barriers that prevent adoption, restrictive healthcare, and career and housing discrimination.

Furthermore, Schechinger says polyamorous couples who *do* want to marry have to fight the laws currently in place to protect against non-consensual polygamy. Advocates are seeking solutions to maintain the appropriate protections while not discriminating against consenting adults, he says, but its still another hard hurdle polygamous couples experience.

Despite the whole more people are involved thing, Schechinger says polyamorous relationships arent all that different from monogamous relationships. People in both monogamous and polyamorous relationships highlight the following relationship elements as most important: community and family, sex, love, trust and authenticity, communication, and commitment, he says.

While all polyamorous relationships are different, Graf says setting clear and consensual conditions and ground rules is the common foundation. Typically, working polyamorous relationships also involve regular check-ins, communication, emotionally involved and ongoing connections (rather than casual sex), and full disclosure when a new person comes onto the scene, she says.

Some polyamorous relationships involve a primary couple that has outside secondary relationships, while other poly relationships are simply one primary relationship that involves more than two people with no outside relationships. Theres no wrong way to poly as long as everyones 100 percent on board!

If ethical non-monogamy sounds right for you, both pros say there are quite a few things to consider before opening up your twosome or joining an established relationship. First, its a good idea to gather information and learn all you can about polyamory. Read books like The Ethical Slut by Janet W. Hardy and Dossie Easton, talk to licensed sex therapists or mental health professionals, and think about why you want a non-monogamous relationship.

Once you have your bearings, start discussing what this would look like in the context of your relationship, suggests Schechinger. You and your partner(s) dont have to be drawn to polyamory for the same reasons, and it is important to be curious and considerate of your partners desires, he says. Keep the conversation non-judgmental.

In fact, while setting ground rules and consistently checking in is essential, Grafs main piece of advice for anyone wanting to explore polyamory is to work on their communication skills. Even though your mind understands that polyamory can be natural and great, you're up against a lifetime of conditioning and socialization,'' she says. It's big stuff and it's not for the faint-hearted It can be the best thing ever, but it's also hard work!

So no matter where you fall on the spectrum of monogamy, know that there is a place for you and your partners(s) if you're willing to do the work it takes to communicate openly and honestly. There are tons of different relationship styles, and understanding them is crucial toward building a more inclusive, less judgmental society where everyone can have exactly the kind of relationship they want and deserve.

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Polygamy vs. Polyamory - What's the Difference? - Cosmopolitan

Open House: The Great Sex Experiment10pm, Channel 4

Gird your loins: heres a dating show that hopes to break the taboo around polyamory. Each week, curious couples are invited to a swinging party, where they can ask others to join them for the night. Along the way, they talk things through with an intimacy therapist, Dr Lori Beth. First up, Mady and Nathan are looking for a throuple situation, but will they go through with it? The nightcam action is pretty awkward, but it does show the reality of what happens in such situations. Hollie Richardson

This documentary might have been put together quickly, but it paints a clear picture of what led to the invasion of Ukraine. Picking up from the moment Vladimir Putins national security team voted in favour of the war, Russia-born journalist Julia Ioffe says: It felt like they were dancing bears performing for their master, who is impossible to please. Quite. HR

Ordinary life takes centre stage in Grayson Perrys extraordinary (and delightfully singular) arts show this week. The comedian Joe Wilkinson crafts a piece inspired by normal life, while Cornelia Parker famed for her oversized installations discusses how art can electrify the everyday. Henry Wong

Secrets and lies in the 50s-set crime drama tonight. A member of the Rev Will Davenports congregation is found murdered in the run-up to a church fundraiser. But the victim was an upstanding member of the community wasnt he? Ali Catterall

The gritty, sexy German adaptation of Thomas Pletzingers thriller continues with a double bill. Tuuli gives birth on 11 September 2001, while there are doubts about whether Felix is being dead. HR

Could Lee Mack be the new Tom Cruise? After he inadvertently sends an insulting text to uptight Anna, the usually listless Lee has to stage an escalating series of heists la Mission: Impossible to try to delete the message. A raunchy farce with a road-tested one-liner for every daft incident. Graeme Virtue

Punch-Drunk Love (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2002), IMDb TVLong before he wowed with Oscar contender Licorice Pizza, Paul Thomas Andersons way with a romantic comedy was evident in this quirky 2002 film. Adam Sandler stars as the diffident Barry, who runs a small firm that has something to do with plungers. His seven sisters boss him around, which leads to comic explosions of rage. Then, one sibling introduces him to Lena (Emily Watson) who has slightly bizarrely fallen for him. Sandler brings his talent for physical comedy to a sweet caper that incorporates phone sex, a harmonium, multiple chocolate desserts and a shouty cameo from Philip Seymour Hoffman as an ineffective blackmailer. Simon Wardell

The Many Saints of Newark (Alan Taylor, 2021), 12.40pm, 8pm, Sky Cinema PremiereDavid Chase returns to the world of The Sopranos with a Tony Soprano origin story. The 1967 Newark race riots in New Jersey are the spur to investigate the formative teenage years of Tony (played by Michael Gandolfini, son of James) and his relationship with his violent mobster uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola), Christophers father. Rivalry between the areas Italian and black gangs brings a new dimension to the mafia family dramas, but theres lots for fans of the TV show to savour, particularly a younger but already petrifying Livia (Vera Farmiga). SW

The Miseducation of Cameron Post (Desiree Akhavan, 2018) 9pm, BBC ThreeThe horrors of gay conversion therapy are damningly laid out in Desiree Akhavans compelling drama, set in 1993. Chlo Grace Moretz is the titular teenager, caught with a girlfriend and sent to a Christian camp, Gods Promise, to cure her of her gender confusion. The counsellors, led by Jennifer Ehles Dr March, are more hidebound by religious dogma than actively evil, but still have an increasingly disturbing effect on their fragile charges. Luckily, Cameron befriends Jane (Sasha Lane) and Adam (Forest Goodluck), whose fortitude gives her hope. SW

This article was amended on 1 April 2022 to refer to polyamory rather than polygamy in relation to Open House.

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TV tonight: what really goes on in a polyamorous relationship? - The Guardian

OGDEN, Utah (ABC4) Ogdens Own, Utahs largest independent distillery and award-winning leading producer of craft spirits is excited to announce the release of its 2022 Five Husbands vodka.

The distillery is known for its unique expressions of playful satire targeting Utah stereotypes. As a take on the companys Five Wives Vodka, which pokes fun at polygamy, Ogdens Own introduced Five Husbands Vodka for the first time in 2019 as a Pride Month special release. The product was embraced so much by consumers that the distillery has decided to make it a year-round offering, celebrating the LGBTQ+ community every day of the year.

As of March 22, Ogdens Own has announced the selection of its Five Husband search. The five representatives will be featured on this years edition of the Five Husbands Vodka bottle. The group, carefully selected by the Ogdens Own team to showcase their dedication to improving LGBTQ+ equality and visibility, represents a plethora of diverse backgrounds depictive of the LGBTQ+ community.

It was a very difficult decision as we were very fortunate to receive more responses than we anticipated for this years label, said Mark Fine, President and CEO of Ogdens Own Distillery. In selecting the Five Husbands, we didnt just want it to be about a person who specifically identifies as a Husband, but a person who is authentically themselves and part of the rich tapestry that makes up the LGBTQ+ community.

From left to right, the bottles label will feature Madazon Can-Can, Bryce Jackson, Matt Easton, Chef Bryan Woolley, and Christian Harvey.

Can-Can, a non-binary transmasculine person, has been faced with fear and rejection throughout their life as many find their feminine and masculine persona hard to understand.

I have been involved in the (Queer) community primarily through work as a Burlesque and Drag King which also allows me to raise awareness through performance art. I teach Drag King classes inspiring others to develop a new skill, but to also facilitate a band of brothers that would support each other building a community of authenticity and offering a variety of drag in every gendered and non-gendered expression, said Can-Can.

Jackson is the co-founder of Stonewall Sports, an LGBTQ+ not-for-profit sports league with over 1,300 members. In regards to the organization, Jackson noted, This adult league brings back memories for many of not feeling included in sports growing up but now taking ownership and having fun. Many of the teams meet up outside of the league for dinners, movie nights, and just good old-fashioned fun.

Easton, a Utah native and seventh-generation Mormon, came out publicly during his 2019 valedictorian speech at BYU. Currently, he is working on earning his Ph.D. in political science at Berkeley.

My speech gathered a lot more attention than I initially thought it would and I ended up going on The Ellen Show, Ru Pauls Talk Show, and Good Morning America to talk about my experience being gay at BYU. It has allowed me to springboard into the world of LBTQ+ activism, working on improving the treatment of queer people at BYU and the Mormon church, said Easton. My first alcoholic experience was actually drinking Five Wives Vodka and cranberry! he recalls.

Woolley is an American Celebrity Chef, television personality, and operatic singer most known for his daily 30-minute cooking segment that airs on a local CBS affiliate, Cooking with Chef Bryan.

If I could inspire and save just one person in knowing that being who they are is fine, then this is a success. I am passionate about my career as a chef and have made many friends allowingme to travel and speak with wonderful people with shared interests, said Woolley.

Harvey, better known by his stage name Hoe Shi Minh is SLCs only Vietnamese performer. The stage personality, well-seasoned with many years of musical theater studies, hosts numerous LQBTQ+ shows around the city inspiring others to share their same zest for life while embracing who they really are.

When I attend Asian-American functions I represent the queer communityand when I am involved with LGBTQ+ events I represent the Asian community. I am proud to be part of both, Harvey said.

Ogdens Own has proudly supported the LGBTQ+ community since its establishment in 2009. The organization has been the official alcohol sponsor of the Utah Pride Festival for several years now and has community ties to various local LGBTQ+ organizations like Equality Utah and the Utah Pride Center.

A portion of the Five Husband Vodka sale profits will be donated to support LGBTQ+ causes, and the bottle is expected to hit shelves in May, just in time for pride month.

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Ogdens Own supports LGBTQ+ with Five Husbands Vodka - ABC4.com

Islam is not hostile to the concept of family planning and it is mere "propaganda" that Muslims can overtake Hindus in terms of population numbers, former chief election commissioner S Y Quraishi said on Monday.

There are several myths being spread about the Muslim population in India which are creating hostility among the Hindus against the Muslims, Quraishi said during a discussion on his book 'The Population Myth: Islam, Family Planning and Politics in India' at the India International Centre here.

Listing the "myths" about the Muslim population in India, he said one of them is that they produce too many children and are solely responsible for the population explosion.

"Yes Muslims have the lowest levels of family planning (FP) -- only 45.3 per cent. Their total fertility rate (TFR) is 2.61 which is the highest. But the fact that Hindus are not far behind, with second-lowest FP at 54.4 per cent, and second-highest TFR of 2.13, is completely missed," Quraishi said.

Quraishi said it is also a myth that the Muslim population growth is upsetting the demographic balance.

The demographic ratio of India indeed shows an increase in Muslims from 9.8 per cent in 1951 to 14.2 per cent in 2011, and a decline in Hindus from 84.2 per cent to 79.8 per cent, but this is an increase of 4.4 percentage points in 60 years, he pointed out.

Asserting that Muslims are adopting family planning faster than Hindus, he said the gap in their number of children is narrowing.

Pointing out that another propaganda is that there is an organised conspiracy by Muslims to overtake the Hindu population to capture political power, he said no Muslim leader or scholar has asked Muslims to produce more children to overtake Hindus.

Citing a mathematical model by professors Dinesh Singh, former Delhi University Vice Chancellor, and Ajay Kumar, he said Muslims can "never" overtake Hindus.

Busting another "myth", he said it is wrong to state that Muslims use polygamy for increasing population as a government study in 1975 found that all communities had some polygamy but the Muslims were the least polygamous.

He said there is a general misconception that Islam encourages polygamy but the reality, however, is different.

Polygamy is also statistically not possible in India as the gender ratio (only 924 women per 1,000 men) does not permit it.

Asserting that Islam is not against family planning, Quraishi said nowhere has the Quran prohibited family planning and there are only interpretations -- both for and against.

Numerous verses of Quran and citations from Hadith emphasise quality over numbers, health of women and children and right of children to good upbringing.

Islam is not only not opposed to family planning but in fact is the pioneer of the concept, he said.

Former Jammu and Kashmir governor N N Vohra, former health secretary K Sujatha Rao and The Population Foundation of India Executive Director Poonam Muttreja also participated in the book discussion.

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Muslims can overtake Hindus in terms of numbers just propaganda, can never happen: Quraishi - Deccan Herald

Ill never forget when I saw The Book of Mormon musical. Sitting elbow-to-elbow with people in a Boston theater, I made sure to watch the audience as much as the stage, keeping an eye on what other people would laugh about. As the play progressed, I chuckled along, letting the catchy songs get stuck in my head. Though a few moments made me cringe, I didnt outright hate it. How open-minded I am, I commended myself. I can take a joke. But in the pit of my stomach, I felt some unease and I couldnt quite place why.

Over a decade later, I can now identify the reason.

Im Mormon through and through, and when I say that, I refer to a distinct culture. Cultural Mormonism exists alongside the religion, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The name sometimes gets abbreviated to LDS, though this and the word Mormon are terms the official institution is trying to distance from (one reason being that people conflate mainstream LDS religion and culture with the fundamentalist movement, the FLDS church, which splintered off in the early 20th century because they wanted to continue polygamy.)

My third- and second-great grandparents left Europe and trekked across the plains to reach a spiritual refuge in Utah. Some died or buried children in frozen earth as they fled from an extermination order in Missouri, and their collective narratives, along with their recipes for Jell-O salad and funeral potatoes, make up my family tapestry. I grew up having sleepovers with my cousins while my grandma told us stories and delivering dinners with my mom to people who had just lost their jobs or had a baby. Mormons rarely need to hire movers, and Ive hefted countless U-Haul boxes for incomers to and outgoers from the neighborhood. Whether Im traveling in Peru or Liberia, Italy or India, Ive been able to slip into a church service and listen to familiar hymns sung in different languages. My community, like anyone elses community, is vibrant, fraught, and complex.

Ive met my share of over-eager missionaries like the ones depicted in TheBook of Mormon musical, sure. (Proselytizing isnt my personal cup of herbal tea. Im more of the you do you, and I do me type.) But for every nave nineteen-year-old proselyte Ive met as well as Trump fans, mistresses of the patriarchy, and number-crunching men in suits Ive known dozens of other types of Mormons who you rarely, if ever, hear about.

The outside world seems obsessed with painting us as caricatures. But the Mormons I know are queer Mormons and Mormon allies, international Mormons and BIPOC Mormons who speak truth to power about the racism they experience. They attend church in addition to honor ceremonies for their Native American elders, or draw strength from Taiwanese ancestors and funeral rites to mourn miscarriages. The Mormons I know host podcasts or write their own cutting-edge social justice interpretations of scripture. They can be devout church-goers; taking a break Mormons; Mormon atheists; and people who identify as Mormon-ish, post-Mormon or the more distancing ex-Mo. The Mormons I know open art galleries in Manhattan that go well beyond devotional illustrations. They are libertarians, conservatives, liberals, socialists, and Marxists. They are average people with 9-5 jobs who, in the face of violence against Black bodies or policies banning immigrants, form organizations like Mormon Women For Ethical Government.

The person credited with saying, Well-behaved women seldom make history? That wasnt Eleanor Roosevelt that was my friend, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian who makes excellent raisin cookies and who also happens to be Mormon. I serve as Editor in Chief of Exponent II, a Mormon feminist magazine founded by Ulrich and others back in 1974. Yet when I use the word Mormon and feminist in the same sentence with outsiders, I see their eyes grow at the seeming contradiction. The Mormons I know wrestle against patriarchy and celebrate a female deity in Mormon doctrine, even while some church leadership members push back by calling Her too sacred to talk about. The Mormons I know pray to Her anyway, exploring the evocative concept of the feminine divine through essays, painting, or poetry, because Who can excommunicate a poem?

You wouldnt recognize everyday Mormons, given some mainstream depictions of us. If were not being made the butt of the joke like in The Book of Mormon musical then were usually presented as a nefarious, creepy cult with a sensationalist obsession with polygamy. In popular TV shows, such as Big Love and Sister Wives, the lines between the LDS and FLDS are blurred. From Netflixs Murder Among the Mormons, where one sociopathic con artist kills two people, to Jon Krakauers book Under the Banner of Heaven (soon coming out as a TV series that has the Mormon community abuzz), this lumping together in our collection consciousness of the LDS and FLDS religions is incredibly popular and incredibly misleading.

For every dramatic caricature rendered by outsiders for the masses, real people like me have to reckon with the fallout and entrenched stereotypes: whether it means one more new acquaintance asking me how many moms I grew up with or being asked to explain the concept of magic underwear. Modern Mormons have so many other stories, universal and urgent, to tell.

For me, a defining moment came when I watched a Stephen Colbert episode about Mitt Romney (speaking of a popular Mormon archetype). I zeroed in on a joke Colbert made about Romney taking a sip of coffee that he thought was decaf, a reference to Mormonisms health code. But orthodox Mormons dont drink decaf coffee, either.

At that moment, I paused the video. This wasnt about coffee, which I couldnt care less about debating. It was about representation. In this modern world, when else would we feel comfortable representing a minority religion without conducting even a basic sensitivity check? Or easier, a simple Google search? My stomach twisted. I recognized the code-switching I had done for years, the way in which I forgave blatantly prejudicial stereotyping with a laugh and took it as a compliment that people even recognized us.

Im no longer laughing.

Its 2022. Outsiders will likely still create a steady diet of exoticizing content, but for every comedic farce, polygamy drama, and murder mystery (no matter how attractive the lead actor heres looking at you, Andrew Garfield), I hope the world learns to make space for the spectrum of other Mormon stories out there worth hearing. Like any other religion or community, we are no monolith. Our truth, pain, and experiences in our own words matter.

Rachel Rueckert is a Utah-born writer and recent graduate of Columbias MFA program. She is writing a coming-of-age memoir about her fraught and sometimes humorous reckoning with the concept of eternal marriage in Mormonism

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Im a feminist Mormon. Almost everything youve heard about my culture is wrong - The Independent

Andrew Garfield, Daisy Edgar-Jones and an eerie true-crime story reminiscent of True Detectiveneed we say more? Probably not, but we will because we are simply enthralled by upcoming series, Under The Banner Of Heaven.

Based on the book of the same name from author Jon Krakauer, the limited run series follows the bone-chilling events that led to the murder of Brenda Wright Lafferty (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her baby daughter in Salt Lake Valley, Utah, 1984, as investigated by Det. Jeb Pyre (Andrew Garfield).

Find everything you need to know about the new series, below.

Tragically, the terrifying events that take place in Under The Banner Of Heaven are based on a true story.

Brothers Ron Laffertya self-professed prophetand Dan Lafferty were convicted of murdering their sister-in-law, Brenda Wright Lafferty and her baby daughter, in July 1984.

The heinous act was believed to be the result of Rons religious views, claiming he received a revelation ordering him to kill Brenda and her daughter.

The series investigates not only the crime, but also the "isolated American communities where some 40,000 Mormon Fundamentalists still practice polygamy".

The seven-episode mini-series has been confirmed to debut exclusively on Disney+ in Australia. An exact premiere date is yet to be announced, however it is slated to air this year.

You can sign up to stream the show along with other Disney+ and STAR exclusives like Only Murders In The Building, righthere.

The first official trailer for the series has dropped and its as chilling as we expected. You can watch the full clip, below.

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Where To Watch 'Under The Banner Of Heaven' In Australia - Marie Claire

A private member's bill to regulate the country's population was withdrawn in Rajya Sabha (File)

A private member's bill to regulate the country's population introduced by BJP member Rakesh Sinha in the Rajya Sabha was withdrawn on Friday.

Mr Sinha withdrew The Population Regulation Bill, 2019, expressing confidence that "we will be able to control our population rising above caste, religion, language and district" on account of serious efforts being undertaken by the government in this regard.

Mr Sinha cited the example of Hindu and Muslim population growth rate differences in Kerala and West Bengal. He said that from 2001 to 2011, the decadal growth rate of the Muslim population was 21 per cent whereas that of the Hindu population is 10 per cent. Similarly, in Kerala, the decadal growth rate of Hindus is 10 per cent whereas that of Muslims in the state is 29 per cent, Sinha said, and added that "facts do not change by closing one's eyes".

He said attention needs to be paid to the total marital fertility rate.

"Our (government's) efforts are being undertaken in a constitutional manner. We do not want to repeat the Emergency," Mr Sinha said.

Participating in the discussion, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said population control should happen by creating awareness among people and it should not happen by force and being made compulsory.

"We have gained results as the fertility rate has come down to around 2 per cent... It tells us that the family planning mission is moving towards success," the minister stated.

Mr Mandaviya noted that the country has witnessed a population growth rate dip from the 70s and 80s with the success of various policy measures.

"The government's policy is to pursue its goals without using force and by adopting initiatives around creating awareness and by educating people. We are moving ahead by following this.

"I agree with Rakesh Sinha that the family should be small and that the population should be stabilised. The policies which have been followed to date will help us achieve our goals. So I request the honourable member to withdraw the bill," he stated.

He assured the member that the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was taking a lot of steps to stabilize the population in the country.

Mr Mandaviya also elaborated on the measures taken by the government in enhancing healthcare infrastructure in the country, including an increase in the number of MBBS and PG seats across states.

Earlier, KJ Alphons of the BJP said there was a need to educate people about the matter.

John Brittas of CPI (M) attacked the practice of polygamy and stressed the need for strong measures to check population growth in certain states.

AAP MP Sanjay Singh raised in the House the issue of the alleged "attack" on Delhi Chief Minister and party leader Arvind Kejriwal.

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Private Member's Bill To Regulate Population Withdrawn In Rajya Sabha - NDTV