Getting the men of Shivpuri district, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, to undergo a vasectomy by enticing them with the promise of a gun licence seems to be working better than monetary inducement

The promise of guns seems to do the trick as far as male sterilisation goes, according to the authorities in Shivpuri, a remote, dacoit-infested district in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh. Until recently, only very few men in the district had undergone vasectomies at government-run family planning camps.

Things changed when District Collector Manish Shrivastava came up with the idea of issuing gun licences at the camps. Earlier, the men believed getting sterilised damaged their macho image, so they used to send their wives to the family planning camps instead.

"Since people in this dacoit-infested district also have a penchant for guns, I thought of providing them with a bigger symbol of masculinity (a gun) and told them to come forward for a vasectomy," says Shrivastava.

The gun licence as incentive for male sterilisation was introduced around three months ago, and already the results are encouraging. In the past, the number of vasectomy operations in a year did not cross the double digit figure. In the last three months, however, 150 people have undergone surgery.

Family planning camps are being held more frequently now. The last two-day camp in the district started on March 27: over 37 people came in for a vasectomy, and 23 of them have applied for a gun licence, according to the official records. "Last year there were only eight cases of vasectomy, and the year before, only one," says Shrivastava.

The scheme has obviously worked better than the Rs 1,100 given to any man who undergoes a vasectomy and Rs 200 to the person who motivates him.

The collector, however, explains that getting licences would depend on clearance from the police department as well as a recommendation from the sub-divisional magistrate. "The offer doesn't mean that people with criminal backgrounds can walk in, undergo a vasectomy and walk away with a gun licence."

This district of around 1.4 million people already has 11,000 licensed arms. Residents say they want more because bandits in the region hold a large number of unlicensed weapons.

"I never bothered to apply for a licence before because I knew it was not so easy to get one. But when I heard about this, I decided to apply," says Shivpuri resident K K Saxena, 55, who recently underwent a vasectomy. Saxena was given a medical slip confirming his sterilisation, to attach to his gun application.

Bhupendra Namdev, who also had a vasectomy done, says: "I have three children. I thought, why not undergo a vasectomy? Besides, we get preference when it comes to arms licences."

Guns in the Chambal region, of which Shivpuri is a part, are not only considered a status symbol but also a sign of manliness. Between 10,000 and 15,000 people apply each year for a gun licence here, although only around 500 of them manage to get one.

Source: Hindustan Times, April 2, 2008
IANS, April 1, 2008