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Kerala BJP State President Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s remarks linking the state’s low Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) to the migration of youngsters has attracted sharp criticism from the CPI(M).
Speaking at the Kerala Development Summit recently, the BJP chief claimed that Kerala’s low IMR is primarily due to young people migrating abroad in large numbers.
He was responding to recent comments made by CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas, who had boasted about the state’s growth under the LDF government, citing IMR indices in an ANI podcast.
“I was watching a podcast by a politician, and he was proudly saying the infant mortality rate is very low in Kerala. But should you not understand the underlying factor? The highest youth migration is happening in Kerala. Those who produce children are migrating from here, so naturally the IMR will come down. It’s not right to assess it out of context,” Rajeev Chandrasekhar said.
In the podcast, Brittas had highlighted that Kerala’s IMR currently stands at 5 per 1,000 live births, on par with developed countries such as the United States (5.6), and significantly lower than the Indian national average of 25.
Infant Mortality Rate is calculated as the number of infant deaths under one year of age per 1,000 live births in a given year. It is widely regarded as a key indicator of a region’s overall healthcare, nutrition, and socio-economic conditions. A low IMR typically reflects better access to medical care, maternal health services, and education.
Responding to Rajeev Chandrasekhar’s logic, CPI(M) MP Brittas took a dig at him, saying: “Wow, what a groundbreaking discovery. Linking infant mortality directly to youth migration truly marks you as a genius. I realise you were drawing from my comments on the ANI podcast, but I never imagined you would spin it into such a profound insight. Please keep leading the state BJP with more of this brilliance.”