Every time I travel women complain to me about the side effects they are suffering from some birth control device or surgery that they underwent. We have banned the import and use of Quinacrine, which some doctors were testing out on Indian women. We will not allow this to happen. Indian women will not become guinea pigs for any untested drug trials. But if the population explosion is to be tackled by changing social attitudes, it will take generations before people change their mindsets.
Maternal mortality is a grave problem in our country.
Illiteracy, social customs and lack of trained attendants at the time of delivery all contribute to the high maternal mortality levels. We have just worked out a scheme under which one young girl, between 18 and 21 years of age, is chosen from among six villages to travel from village to village explaining to the people about family health and hygiene. She will visit peoples' homes and talk to the women about the importance of fewer children, spacing births, the need for trained midwives and different contraceptive methods, etc. We will make the materials available to the young animators. The incentive for the young girls is that they will be given a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000, and given a considerable lump sum at the time of her marriage.