Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during the 78th Independence Day celebration at Khanapara, in Guwahati.
| Photo Credit: PTI
GUWAHATI
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday (August 15, 2024) said the future of the State was at stake as the balance of population between Hindus and Muslims has been eroding fast.
Speaking after hoisting the national flag on the 78th Independence Day in Guwahati, he said the indigenous people of Assam were feeling threatened by demographic change as they have become a minority in “12-13 districts”.
“For us, the future of Assam is not secure. The Muslim population has increased to 41% while the Hindus were down to 57%. Christians and other communities comprise the rest,” he said, claiming the population of Hindus was 60-65% not so long ago.
According to the 2011 Census, the population of Muslims in Assam was 34%. The Census was not carried out in 2021.
The Chief Minister said the government was trying to restore the population balance. Advocating family planning by all communities and a fight against polygamy, he vowed to protect the interests of indigenous people till his last breath.
The Chief Minister also aired his concerns on minorities facing a turbulent and uncertain future in violence-scarred Bangladesh.
“While we celebrate our hard-won independence, my thoughts are with the minority communities in Bangladesh. I am deeply worried about their future amidst the ongoing crisis,” he said.
He said Hindus of the erstwhile East and West Pakistan fought for Independence for an ‘Akhand Bharat’, but the leadership at that time conceded to the demands of a few for Partition.
“Overnight, Indian Hindus in those regions turned into minorities in East and West Pakistan. I am confident that under the resolute leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Hindus in Bangladesh will be protected,” he said, while acknowledging the relentless efforts of the Border Security Force and the Assam Police in not letting any unauthorised Bangladeshi national cross into Indian territory amid the ongoing unrest in the neighbouring country.
