Himanta Biswa Sarma: Assam will be Muslim majority by 2041

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi, July 19

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state would become Muslim majority by 2041 with the decadal growth among Muslims being 30 per cent as against 16 per cent in Hindus and if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi became brand ambassador for population control, it would help because “Muslims listen to what he says.”

“In 2011, Assam had 1.4 crore Muslims — 34.22 per cent of the population. There were 1.92 crore Hindus — around 61.47 per cent of the population. By 2041, Assam will become Muslim-majority. It’s a reality and nobody can stop it,” Sarma said in Guwahati citing Census data.

He said the Assam Government was working to reduce population growth among Muslims.

The remarks came a day after the Assam Cabinet approved a Bill to abolish the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorce Registration Act and Rules of 1935, which allows underage marriages under specific conditions. The Repealing Bill will be presented in the upcoming monsoon session of the state Assembly.

Demographers when contacted said the claim that Assam could become Muslim-majority could be linked to migration or immigration trends but not rising fertility.

“Fertility rate in Assam has been on the decline among all communities including Muslims. Total fertility rate (TFR) among Muslims in Assam is 0.5 higher than Hindus. Also, higher fertility among Muslims is not due to religion. Research shows a higher fertility rate among poorer Muslim women compared to rich ones. The driving factors for high fertility among Assamese Muslims are low levels of education, low social and economic status. It is more poverty driven than anything else,” leading demographer Harihar Sahoo told The Tribune.