Mizoram's most influential church body demands 'prolonged maternity leave' to have more babies

Aizawl, Dec 20: In what comes as a shocker, a church in the Christian-dominated state of Mizoram, has decided to make a resolution to the state government to prolong maternity leave for women in order to "encourage married couples to have more babies."

 

 

The Presbyterian Church is notably the most powerful and largest church in the state. The resolution came after the delegates of the Synod conference, the highest decision-making authority of the Presbyterian Church passed it. A majority of the delegates from across the state said the increase in the population of church members and, the Mizos as a whole, has become important for their survival and prosperity.

 

They said the population can be increased only by having more babies and one of the most important encouragements is the extension of the days of maternity leave for women working in the state government as an incentive. This means that the church wants to increase the Christianity religion by increasing the population in India, a country with the second-most population across the globe.

 

 

The decision to appeal to the state government to prolong maternity leave for women who have more babies has been accepted and the Synod conference authorised the Synod Executive Committee to pursue the matter with the state government. It is not only the Presbyterian Church, the Baptist Church of Mizoram, the second largest church in the state, and other church denominations are also batting for this initiative in the state for survival as a minority religious community in the country, while the central committee of the Young Mizo Association (YMA), the largest and most powerful civil society group, also supported the decision.

 

 

The churches and the YMA are of the opinion that the Mizos, as a tribe and a religious minority, should increase their population for survival and have been encouraging couples to have more children.