Population! Population! What a worry! Why not offer bonuses for those who remain single – like himself? No marriage means no children – no, not necessarily no children! The town hall veranda and the pavements around the market, the no-man’s lands of Malgudi, swarmed with children of all sizes, from toddlers to four-footers, dust-covered, ragged – a visible development in five years.”
-- Narration (Part One)

Importance: Raman considers the problem of population control. This quote connects Raman’s reluctance to get married with Daisy’s interest in promoting contraception, showing that both characters have an interest in doing things in a non-traditional manner. It also vividly portrays the issues associated with children being born into a culture that cannot or will not provide for them properly.

He wishes to establish that the man-woman relationship was not inevitable and that there were other more important things in life to do than marrying.
-- Narration (Part One)

Importance: The narration states Raman’s...