China’s health authorities have now banned all birth control slogans that are offensive and crude as such slogans have been reported to be tarnishing the image of the government.
Obnoxious slogans such as ‘Raise fewer babies but more piggies’ and ‘One more baby means one more tomb’ have been banned. The authorities have issued a list of 190 slogans that are acceptable and these include “Mother earth is too tired to sustain more children” and “Both boys and girls are parents’ hearts”.
China’s family planning policy that came into effect 28 yrs ago limits urban couples to just one child and rural couples to go in for a second one if the first child is a girl. According to the government sources, this rule has helped prevent at least 300 million births. The preference for a male heir has resulted in forced abortions when the fetus is confirmed as a female leading to a dangerously imbalanced sex ratio.
There have been protests in China among rural folks as the authorities have been levying heavy fines on those who are violating the one-child rule that has been enforced. The authorities are so harsh that they demolish the houses of those who fail to pay up the hefty fines which could be an amount equivalent to $1300 while the annual average income of these farmers is about $130.
The low quality slogans painted on the walls in the rural areas are giving a false impression that the government is forcing people not to have more babies and tarnishing the image of the government, according to the National Population and Family Planning Commission.
It would probably be a better idea to educate people about the benefits of having smaller families rather than use abominable slogans and infuriate the public.
