BJP's Gajendra Singh Patel: Hindus Should Marry Early, Have Five Children

BJP national general secretary and Khargone-Barwani Lok Sabha MP Gajendra Singh Patel has urged Hindu youth to marry early and have five children, citing what he described as a difference in birth rates between Hindus and another community. Patel made the remarks while addressing an event on Friday night, arguing that delayed marriages and smaller families were contributing to a lower birth rate among Hindus. He said young people today were marrying at 30, 35 or even 37 and often having only one child, in contrast to earlier generations when families were larger.

Patel said the birth rate among what he referred to as “Sanatanis” was 1.9 and called on young people to marry earlier and have larger families. “Earlier generations would have four, five, six or even seven children. People used to marry at the age of 20, 21 or 22,” he said. Patel added that he was not afraid of making such statements because he considered himself a “Sanatani”. His comments centred on demographic change and the need, in his view, for Hindu families to reconsider marriage age and family size.

The BJP leader also claimed that the population share of one community had declined while that of another had increased since Independence. Referring to what he described as current birth patterns, Patel said, “Out of four children (now), one was from the Hindu community and three from the other community.” He contrasted the situation with the period between 1947 and 1967 and also referred to the 2011 Census while discussing the demographic trend. Patel cited a birth rate of 1.9 for one community and 2.9 for another, using the figures to argue that young people should understand what he described as a changing demographic situation.

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Patel also appealed to “Sanatanis” to support one another during difficult circumstances instead of depending on either the Congress or the BJP. Congress MLA Rajan Mandloi represents the area where the BJP leader was speaking. Patel further called for greater promotion of gyms and traditional wrestling arenas, saying such spaces could help strengthen families and society. In another part of his speech, he spoke about the importance of strength alongside devotion to the mother goddess and emphasised the possession of weapons.

The BJP leader also raised concerns about drug use and what he described as growing ostentation among young people. He referred to his “3D” campaign against DJ, drugs and dowry, saying society needed to recognise the seriousness of these issues. Patel claimed that nearly all young people dancing to DJs were “Sanatanis” and alleged that 60 per cent of them did so under the influence of intoxicants. He urged people to recognise these trends and work towards what he described as strengthening society.

Patel’s remarks combined his views on family size and demographic trends with calls for social discipline and community support. His appeal for Hindu youth to marry earlier and have five children was linked directly to the birth-rate figures he cited during the speech. The comments come amid continuing political debate in India over population trends, fertility rates and the demographic composition of communities, with Patel presenting his recommendations as a response to what he described as an imbalance in population growth.

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