STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Close on the heels of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's appeal to Muslims (particularly those originally migrated from East Pakistan) of the State to adopt a 'decent family planning policy for population control, prominent citizens from the community have endorsed the CM's call and advocated for massive awareness to prevent population.
The Muslim citizens from different walks of life have also admitted that the burgeoning population is the root cause of several social menaces and many issues will automatically be resolved in case pragmatic family planning is followed by the community.
Renowned surgeon and Padmashree Dr Illias Ali told The Sentinel that even though there have been few positive changes in the field of family planning in certain minority (immigrant Muslims) dominated areas in the State, much needs to be done to control the population boom in the community.
"Marriages among girls below 18 years and boys below 21 years in sar and other underdeveloped minority-dominated areas must be stopped. The anti-child marriage legislation must be enforced strictly in these areas and stringent punitive actions must be initiated against the violators. I have personally seen how parents of Muslim girls face social and mental insecurity after their daughters attain puberty. Antisocial forces put pressure on these parents to arrange a marriage for their daughters soon after they attain puberty. These antisocial forces must be brought to the book," Dr Ali said.
Dr Ali said parents, gaonburahs (village heads) and Kazis (those who perform Muslim marriages) must be punished if they are found involved in arranging child marriages. He added that the population explosion has caused poverty and religious fundamentalism in minority-dominated areas.
According to Dr Ali, spreading education, promotion of self-help groups among women, stopping polygamy, birth control and long-term pragmatic and scientific family planning will result in controlling the population boom among immigrant Muslims.
Welcoming the Chief Minister's appeal, noted social activist and lawyer Nekibur Zaman said the issue must not be politicized. He said population explosion is a major issue of concern for all the people in the State and it must not lead to religious polarization.
Zaman said stringent actions must be taken against those violating the Child Marriage Act in minority areas. Besides the overall development of education and health sectors in minority areas, Zaman advocated for setting up more police stations and outposts to take actions against the antisocial elements in such areas.
"Birth control is not prohibited in Islam. The killing of a fetus is only considered a sin in Islam," Alhaj Sheikh Abdus Sattar, a religious leader said. Sattar said education must be spread wide and far among uneducated Muslims by the government as well as NGOs.