By Falak Aslam

Looking at today's numbers for Kashmir, it's hard to connect them to the stories older generations tell.

Families that once filled entire courtyards and spanned generations are now smaller.

The Total Fertility Rate in Jammu and Kashmir has fallen to 1.4, well below the replacement level of 2.1.

According to the NFHS-5 survey, this is a sharp drop from 2.0 just five years ago.

The change carries real political weight in a region where representation has already thinned since 2019.

Seat allocation is still based on the 1971 Census, and a new delimitation after 2026 could boost states with growing populations while leaving shrinking regions like Kashmir with less influence.

As I looked closer at these changes, I kept asking what caused them and who benefits from the transformation of our families.

Kashmir's demographic story is tied up with debates on development, governance, and what the world now calls population management.

These words sound technical, even harmless, but they hide strong ideas about how societies should look and how much life they should contain.

Population reduction is often presented as a path to prosperity, backed by examples of wealthy nations with smaller families.

Global development narratives repeat this idea, mixing promises of growth with calls for family planning in poorer regions.

The small, efficient household has come to symbolize modernity. But in reality, many families who stop at one or two children are driven less by the appeal of modern life and more by economic pressure.

Wages fall short, secure jobs are hard to find, and education and healthcare demand careful planning.

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