Justice Iyer panel report opens a pandoras box

KOCHI:  The Justice V R Krishna Iyer Commission report on population control in the state has opened a Pandora’s Box with the  leaders from a cross section of society strongly opposing the suggestions.The Catholic Church was the first to condemn the report. Now the Hindu Aikya Vedi and the Jamaat-e-Islami too have followed suit.  While the Jamaat termed the provisions of the draft Women’s Code Bill as a violation of human rights, the Hindu Aikya Vedi said the Bill would be disadvantageous to Hindus.“We cannot agree with the provisions of the Bill unconditionally,’’ said Hindu Aikya Vedi state secretary Kummanam Rajasekharan. ‘’If the proposed Bill is enacted, it will have a disastrous effect on Hindus,’’ he said. The Women’s Code Bill should be implemented only after ensuring that the provisions are applicable to all communities, Kummanam said.“Whenever the government introduces a law, there would be a provision in it to appease the minorities and to protect their interests. Ultimately, the law becomes applicable only to the Hindu community. The suggestions need to be discussed widely before they are enacted. We agree that population control is a national policy. But we need an assurance from the government that the provisions would be applicable to all,’’ Kummanam said.“The  Hindu population is decreasing. Conversion to other religions and their growth  are also reasons for it. If implemented, only Hindus will have to bear the brunt of the provisions included in the Bill for population control,” he said.Bharatiya Vichara Kendram director P Parameswaran said the penal provisions were impractical in a democratic country. Religious leaders never have political views on population. Besides, secularism is being exploited by religions to protect their communal interests. It should not be allowed,  Parameswaran said. Kerala Ameer of the Jamaat-e-Islami, T Arif Ali, said that preventing people from having more children was a violation of human rights.