Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that the state is undergoing significant demographic changes due to the increase in Muslim population and the exodus of Hindus over the decades. Sarma also feared disaster in the future. Speaking on a resolution in the state assembly session, CM Sarma said that this is the biggest issue for Assam at present and all the MLAs should debate on it. Earlier, in reference to the rape of a 14-year-old girl in Nagaon, Sarma had said in the House that he would not let ‘Miyan’ Muslims take over Assam.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said during the assembly session, “The demographics in the districts of lower Assam are changing at such a fast pace that it seems it is heading towards an unprecedented human disaster. There are many factors behind this. One is the high birth rate among Muslims and second, the migration of many Hindus. No such thing has been recorded among Muslims in the areas of lower and central Assam.”
Muslim population has been increasing continuously since independence
Sarma further said, “When India became independent, the Muslim population in Assam was 22%. In 1951 it was recorded at 24.68% and reached 30.9 in 2001. Statistics show that the highest increase was recorded between 2001 and 2011. This continuous increase has led to demographic growth in all districts.
According to the 2011 census, Assam has a population of 31.2 million, of which Hindus are a little over 19 million (61.47%) and Muslims are 10.6 million (34.22%). Christians number over 1.1 million, Sikhs number about 20,000, Buddhists number 54,000, Jains number 25,000.
Muslim MLAs should protect the Hindus of their area
CM Sarma said that while the population of Hindus has declined in many areas of lower and central Assam, the population of Muslims has increased in the Hindu-dominated areas of Upper Assam. He said, “If this trend continues, a situation like the Assam Movement will arise in the coming years. It is the responsibility of this House to ensure that this does not happen.” Sarma urged Muslim MLAs to ensure the safety of Hindus living in their constituencies. He also asked the Muslim community not to marry girls before they turn 18.
