Assam’s chief minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, reacted sharply to the Union Home Minister’s recent speech on India’s rising Muslim population.
Sarma said the growth is a mix of natural growth and people coming from outside the country. He warned that the federal government is planning a “demography mission” that would “detect, delete and deport” newcomers.
The news was voiced in the state of Assam, in northeast India. According to Sarma, the 2021 census shows that 39.5 % of Assam’s residents are Muslim – a jump from around 38 % a few years earlier. He added that in the river island of Majuli the Muslim share has doubled. “If we see that kind of growth in one area, we can imagine how fast the numbers could rise nationwide,” Sarma said.
The chief minister also shared projections from the 2011 census. If the Muslim share stays near 40 %, Christians would 6‑7 %, and Hindus would be no more than 40 %. Sarma plans to discuss the issue with Union Minister Amit Shah, saying the numbers are “worrying.”
Umpire: The Home Minister’s remarks, delivered on Friday during the Narendra Mohan Smriti Lecture, cited earlier censuses to show how the Muslim population has changed over time. In 1951, Muslims made up about 10 % of India’s total population. By 1991 this had risen to 12 %. The most recent data put it at 14 % in 2001 and around 14.5‐15 % today.
Sarma echoed the need to understand “infiltration, demographic change and democracy” before India can protect its culture and independence. The state’s leaders warn that the shifting demographic balance could strengthen concerns about future minority rights and territorial sovereignty.
For residents and observers, the heart of the debate is the electoral and cultural future of Assam and India as a whole. Human rights groups and policy experts continue to watch how the government’s demography mission develops.
Source: aninews
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