Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that the changing demography in his state was a huge concern. Highlighting that the Muslim population in Assam has seen a significant increase, Sarma added that for him, the issue of changing demography was not political but “a matter of life and death”.
“Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, the Muslim population has reached 40 per cent today. In 1951, it was 12 per cent,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
He added, “We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life and death for me.”
#WATCH | Ranchi | Assam CM & BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma says, “…Changing demography is a big issue for me. In Assam, Muslim population has reached 40% today. In 1951, it was 12%. We have lost many districts. This is not a political issue for me. It is a matter of life andâ€æ pic.twitter.com/N11lpEGUfg — ANI (@ANI) July 17, 2024
Himanta Biswa Sarma’s remark drew a sharp reaction from Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi, who accused him of “suffering from amnesia”.
Referring to the campaign for Lok Sabha election, Gogoi said that just two months ago, Sarma was seen “dancing and singing” in minority-dominated areas of Assam.
Taking a jibe at Sarma, Gogoi sais it was not a “matter of life and death” when he was seeking votes for the BJP.
Noatbly, this is not the first time Himanta Sarma spoke against the population increase, particularly among the Muslim community.June 2021, soon after forming the government in the state, Hmanta Biswa Sarma said, “Population explosion is the root cause of economic disparities and poverty among minority Muslims in Assam.”
He had announced plans to create awareness about population control and distribute contraceptives among the people in the Muslim-dominated areas in the state.
Last year, the Assam government said that it would conduct a socio-economic survey of the state’s five indigenous Muslim communities so that measures can be taken for their upliftment.
The Assam Chief Minister has further spoken about the issue of illegal immigrants and taken action against encroachment in the state.
In March, following the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, Himanta Biswa Sarma laid down conditions for the recognition of Bengali-speaking Bangladeshi Muslims, known as ‘Miya’, as indigenous people in the state.
Himanta Sarma asserted that for the Miya community to be recognised in Assam, people of the community must follow some cultural practices and norms. The Assam people of the community must follow some cultural practices and norms. The Assam Chief Minister highlighted limiting family size to two children, withholding polygamy, and preventing marriage of minor daughters as some of the requirements for the Miya community to be recognised as indigenous in the northeastern state.
