There are two types of India. One what the world perceives and the other, a rather harsh reality. To an average foreigner, India is the land of endless forests, bustling market places, snake charmers and Bollywood. It is common to see these stereotypes on popular media. Take for example a Hollywood movie that talks about a mass alien invasion; when the movies comes to the end and the entire world is celebrating the defeat of the aliens, Indians are shown, confused, in the exact same stereotype as mentioned above. This may seem trivial in the larger scheme of things but the fact is that India is a whole other country on the inside.

Now, let’s move on to a problem that Indians wished were only a stereotype – The population. With nearly 1.3 billion people competing for a very limited space, it is amazing how the majority are able to survive. The Government has tried it’s very best to keep the population down; this is ironic as only a century ago, India was considered under populated. But the real question to ask is – Why is India’s population so high? Do we really have so much sex?

To answer this question, we have to understand the dynamics of sex in India. To start off, sex is borderline taboo. It is considered rude to talk or discuss about it all. In fact, it is possible that both partners are unaware about what makes the other happy in bed for a lifetime. Ritual and culture makes sure that the situation remains the way it is. It is sad that we can choose who can rule our country but have no power in choosing a life partner in India.

Media plays an important role in educating the public. In the western world, thoughts about love and sex are embraced and therefore we see its various representations on the big screen. In India, everything works on symbolism. Censorship ensures that the public gains nothing more than a few new dance steps from the media. Since the parents don’t talk about it, media doesn’t allow it and friends barely discuss it, sex in India has not evolved at all in centuries.

If sex is considered nothing but trivial, then why is India’s population so high?

Here is one theory. Although India boasts of a large population, I believe that Indians do not have too much sex. Reserved for special occasions or baby making, sex is not the primary bonding exercise between partners. Society, joint family systems, limited alone time and a stressful environment all work as a perpetual turn off. But our bodies don’t see it that way.
The limited sex has given our subconscious mind and body the signal that this is a rare affair. So, each time we have sex (although causally), our body goes into baby making mode because it is not sure when the next sex is going to happen again. Since, India is the country that waits longest to have sex (average age to lose virginity is 22), our body clocks are anyway sharper than rest of the world in matters of sex. So basically, even though our minds are thinking of having fun, our bodies are thinking about babies.

So, how do we keep India’s population under control? That’s easy. Have more sex. Switzerland, Spain and Italy are the countries that have the most sex and are doing pretty well all-round. The people of the country and the media must not shy away from the topic but rather embrace it until it becomes a ‘normal’ thing.

Sometimes excess of a something can lead to the de-prioritization and normalcy of it.