GANDHIAN APPROACH

Initially, the dominant thinking among the family planning experts in this period was Gandhian. They held the view that abstinence or “the rhythm method” was the most suitable method in Indian programme, and the artificial methods of birth control were not only unpracticable, they were likely to be misused and result in moral degradation. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, who was the Union Minister of Health at that time was a devoted disciple of Gandhi. Thus a beginning was made with the natural methods of family planning – rhythm and withdrawal.

CLINICAL APPROACH

With the Gandhian understanding of population control, clinical approach was followed. This approach included the natural methods of family planning and clinical methods. An allocation of Rs. 65.00 lakh was made for family planning in the budget of the First Five Year Plan (1951-56) and a number of family planning clinics were established in the country to provide services to needy people. The same approach was further extended in the Second Five Year Plan period (1956-61). The budget allocation was raised to Rs. 497.00 lakh and organizational structures were developed at the national and state levels. Posts of State Family Planning Officers were created in the States, and a Director of Family Planning at the Centre was appointed.

The pilot studies carried out in the First Plan period had shown that “the rhythm method” was not effective and people were not prepared for family planning. The main causes behind the failure of the clinical approach were: female bias; lack of general motivation; cultural obstacles and ignorance. Opening of a large number of birth control clinics at that time before educating the people and raising their level of consciousness was like putting the cart before the horse. Females who constituted the target population in the programme did not enjoy the same (equal) status in the family as in the West and the Westernized Indian planners did not see that in India family planning movement could not get momentum without men's support.