Population explosion root cause of economic disparities & poverty among Muslims in Assam: CM

July 19: Population explosion is the root cause of economic disparities and poverty among minority Muslims in Assam. This was stated by Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma in the floor of the House during the ongoing Budget session of Assam Legislative Assembly on Monday. The Chief Minister during the day spoke at length  in the Assembly and sought cooperation of both the Congress and the AIUDF in “his pledge to fight population explosion for prosperity of all.”

Expressing his view, the Chief Minister said, “From 2001 to 2021, during these 10 years, if 10 Hindus were born, then during the same period, 29 Muslims were born. As a result, you will find that the life style of the Hindus were improved. On the contrast, due to high rate of population, a tendency of occupying vacant lands has increased among the Muslims out of compulsion. They have entered into forest lands resulting in conflict with the law. Further, since past few months, Muslims have started to go outside the state in search of work. Recently, we have rescued 9 such women who on the pretext of jobs were engaged in flesh trade in Kerala. Basically, the Muslim population particularly in lower Assam and middle Assam is in great tension.”

The Chief Minister said the probable solution to this social menace is to spread education to the maximum possible extent among the Muslims. He also said that, if needed, a team of MLAs can visit places in lower Assam to see the situation themselves. He further said that even the health facilities should be extended to them. “There is nothing about politics here. If such steps are not taken, then one after another forests of the states will be encroached because the living space for humans has now shrinked. Whatever, I have said about population control, please delink this from politics. Unfortunately, when I speak about population control, some people start criticising me by stating that my father had more number of children. This should not be the case,” stated Dr Sarma.

Population explosion is the root cause of economic disparities and poverty among minority Muslims in Assam.

I spoke at length today in the Assembly and sought cooperation of both @INCIndia and @AIUDFOfficial in our pledge to fight #population explosion for prosperity of all. pic.twitter.com/YgS6FMk5LL

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 19, 2021

In a lighter vein, the CM stated, “If in 1969 my father had more number of children, similarly the parents of other MLAs in 1969 too had many children. These together would form 2 or 3 cricket teams. So such instances are meaningless. At that time, the proportion was 100, but now the gap between the Hindus and Muslims has come down to 10: 29. If we can further reduce the population grown by 5 or 6%, then everybody would have a decent life. I think all my friends in Congress or AIUDF will agree to it.”

The Chief Minister appealed for a concrete and realistic solution of the menace of population rise. “This is not anti-Muslim, but this step is anti-poverty,” added Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma.