Of these, an estimated 29 million babies will be born in South Asia. 20 million in India; 5 million in Pakistan; 2 million in Bangladesh and 2 million in the rest of South Asia. That means some one-fourth increase in the baby boom will take place in South Asia alone.
Remember, area-wise South Asia is a small piece of land. You have Russia, Canada, the United States and Australia very sparsely populated as compared to their territorial sizes.
That brings me to my favourite hate subject: conspiracy theories.
I have yet to see anyone talk about a conspiracy theory to bring about a population explosion in the world which will hurt South Asia the most and I would imagine Africa and other poor parts of the world most severely.
So, what is the conspiracy if any?
Another conspiracy theory is that the virus is aimed to kill old people. The question is who has conspired to do that? I find no candidate because killing old people cannot be some great gain for any world conspiracy plotters.
Most old people have died in Western Europe and the US where the rate of growth of the population is zero percent.
If now the national governments in Western Europe and US have conspired to kill off their own old people then, that means the advanced countries of the world are part of a macabre plot to kill their own people.
Well let someone tell me how in a democracy, with an open society and multi-party system and a vigilant media and social media such a conspiracy can be maintained for long?
My understanding of contemporary and past politics is that total control and total silence are never possible and such a conspiracy against a nation's own old people will be exposed in no time.
The conclusion is that Covid-19 virus found everybody with their pants down and now the blame game has begun about who conspired against whom, how and why.
In fact a baby boom in Western Europe and Russia and so on can be a blessing in disguise because of the declining rates of indigenous populations, while our problems will only multiply and that is what we in South Asia and other poor parts of the world need to discuss most instead of wasting time on conspiracy theories which are too frivolous to deserve a serious thought.
We need to promote regional cooperation including trade, water sharing, better health and hygiene, active promotion of family planning measures by empowering women and promotion education for all.
Will my post put to rest conspiracy theories? No, never.
Conspiracy theories are sexy. Logic and evidence are not. People want sensational and excitement in their lives no matter how absurd is the source of such sensation and excitement.
My arguments are not sexy enough.