The only ones:how China's single-child policy doubled the agony of parents

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Under the one-child policy, imposed in 1979 as a way of reining in population growth already running at dangerously high levels in the world's most populous nation, most families are limited to one child. The worst natural disaster to hit China in 30 years has brought the spotlight to bear on one of the country's most controversial policies of social engineering, and highlighted how this policy puts unbearable pressure on many families in contemporary China.

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Li Chunyan, 16, was one of the victims and her mother's grief is all the more poignant because the One Child Policy means that she, and many of the thousands of dead students in Sichuan, were the only children. And, being teenagers, means that for many families, there will be no more children. Chinese leave it late to have babies because they want to welcome their offspring into a stable environment. When your teenage children die, you are left alone.

The children of the One Child Policy era are cosseted and adored like youngsters nowhere else, because entire generations have their ambitions focused on the single child. Boys are known as "Little Emperors" and are generally surrounded by swooning aunts, uncles and grandparents, all of whom are ready to spend their life savings on giving this one child the best possible education and anything else he desires.

The One Child Policy is often viewed in the West as an attack on human rights, but there is growing debate about the policy in China too. The Beijing government reckons that since the policy was introduced, more than 400 million births have been prevented. The government says it has successfully slowed population growth to about 10 million people a year and there is now an average birth rate of 1.8 children per couple in China, compared to six children when it was introduced. In a country where famine is still in living memory, there were fears that the ever-rising birth rate would put too much strain on already-stretched resources.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/the-only-ones-how-chinas-singlechild-policy-doubled-the-agony-of-parents-828306.html

But Bonav, parents are husbands or wives, or at least they ought to be!

bmmanjesh – I don't think it's scary to halve the global population – in fact I think it's one of the best things humanity could do. It would reduce our environmental impact and allow us to concentrate more on improving living standards whilst not substantially increasing our use of natural resources.

Look at all the problems our massive use of natural resources is causing or greatly contributing to! There's the Arab-Israeli conflict, Iraq, Sudan, pollution (which in turn causes ill-health) – so many things!

Mark,

I agree on your point. Human population has increased enormously in last few decades. If it gets halved, it is a good thing.

But, what I mean is, Single Child Policy needs to be revised at some point in the near future as far as China is concerned.

perfect  reply ! I support you!

I think most of us support your last point of view Bmmanjesh.

But as Mark said previously, people react very slowly. If you don't impose or make whatever you can to apply your idea, it's clearly impossible to have results.
The best will be to have a 'self containment' of the population growth, but according to the UN, it will not happen until 2100. So what can we do for the moment ? Develop contraception (that's not so easy with the religion point of view). Develop education of girls (not so easy too with the society's habits).
Well, we can hope, the society will involve, but if we wait until that, it will be to late.

Bonav… Why are you repeating yourself? Why do you act life a deaf? Aljensen made a great point refuting the way of thinking which the topic suggests. It's so clear that "independant(!)" tries to critisize the evil policies of chinese government. They want to express how inhumane chinese government is!

"The only ones:how China's single-child policy doubled the agony of parents"

Look at that stupid agitation. A reasonable reader would ask in return: "What about the agony of widows/widowers?"

Evil communists! They restrict ppl not letting them have more children… Because of this dictatorship, victims of quake suffer at double!!! :) Western media is sometimes funny. Speaking of HUMAN RIGHTS, there is no need to remind the fact that the burden of many children is usually pressured on women by backward social norms. Many children means to imprison women inside house. Human rights warriors!! Are you sincere when you talk about human rights when china is concerned? I don't think so.

I totally agree with Progression. Nothing to add for me.

Parents feel agony about losing any a single of their children no matter how many children they have.

Communists are evil or not depending on how you understand communists. And sometimes the speech and behavior of certain the least minority number of communists spoilt the images of communists.But you can't say all communists are evil.  I know many communists they are the most kind-hearted people I have ever known.

Progression, you are a bit extreme. Calm down. Do you mean what you say?

People should be empowered to decide how many children they should have.

But at present many people have to face the reality that one-child policy makes their life easier and better. If you wanna be a father or mother, please think over it whether you can provide an ideal life for your baby. Both mental and phisical life. Unfortunately, many people haven't realized that material plays the same important role as the mental careness does.They are cheating themselves and selfish.So they need to be forced to limit the number of their children. 

To certain degree, some people are deprived of the right of having more children, but if they baby more children, they deprive the right of those children who deserve better life.

People shouldn't do whatever they want to do in the name of human rights.

People shouldn't do whatever they want to do in the name of human rights.

 Unfortunately, I think this is true. In extreme situations, the right of the individual must be curtailed in order to preserve the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

There is a social phenomenon in Capitalist societies called "The Tragedy of the Commons" it is worth looking up. Maybe I will make a mini-lesson about it sometime.

A certain amount of socialism is necessary for a society.