GUWAHATI: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that Assam will turn into a Muslim-majority state by 2041 if the growth of the Muslim population keeps the current pace.
Speaking to the media here today, the Chief Minister said, “The trend of Muslim population growth that I’m telling you is not based on my own data. It is a data-based statistic. According to the 2011 Census report, the Muslim population in the state comprised 36 percent. There was no census in 2021 because of COVID-19. In the 2031 Census, the Muslim population in the state will certainly be around 50 percent. If the Muslim population in the state grows at this pace, in the 2041 Census, we will find Assam as a Muslim-majority state. When we thoroughly study the census reports, we find the decadal population growth of Muslims in Assam at around 30 percent and that of Hindus at around 16 percent. This is ground reality, and what I’m saying is not politics.”
The Chief Minister said, “Had the previous governments taken measures to control child marriages and the growth of the population in the state, the demographic situation in the state would not have come to such a pretty pass. In the past three years, we have been taking measures against child marriage and population growth in the state. Our efforts have paid off. However, we have miles to go, as this is an elephantine problem. To achieve success in this movement, we need support from political leaders. Our awareness drives to check population growth, and child marriages have no takers in sar areas of the state. Since the Congress has a good grip in the minority-dominated areas, the party should go above vote bank politics and make the minority people accept population control measures.”
On the measures taken by the state government, the Chief Minister said, “We have laid stress on education for Muslim girls, as that will make them opt for late marriage. The free enrollment of girls in higher education under Nijot Moina will have a positive impact on population growth. We have also taken a few other steps that we cannot make public now. Our crusade against child marriage in the state has paid off. The number of teenage pregnancies was 9,330 in April 2022, and the figure fell abruptly to 3,401 in June 2024. Our rigorous mission against child marriage is not only for bringing social change but also enabling a healthy life for our Muslim girls.”
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