Panels submit reports for socio-economic development of Assamese Muslim

Guwahati, April 22 (IANS): The seven sub-committees, constituted by the BJP led government in Assam in July 2021 to deliberate issues on health, education, skill development, preservation of cultural identity, financial inclusion and empowerment of women, on Thursday submitted their reports to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The Chief Minister said that based on the recommendations made by the panels, the government would formulate short, medium and long terms plan for achieving socio-economic and academic empowerment of the indigenous Assamese Muslim community.

Amid his insistence on a population policy with a two-child norm and adoption of “decent” family planning norms by Muslims to eradicate poverty in the northeastern state, the Assam Chief Minister earlier held several interactive meetings with intellectuals and prominent citizens belonging to the community.

In a series of statements and speeches after taking over as the 15th Chief Minister of the state on May 10, 2021, Sarma had said that his government would take specific policy measures to decelerate the growth of the minority Muslim population with the aim to eradicate poverty and illiteracy.

“Assam has been able to maintain its annual population growth at 1.6 per cent, but it is found in the 2001 and 2011 Census that the Muslim population is growing at a rate of 29 per cent (decadal). In contrast, Hindu population has come down from 22 per cent to 16 per cent and further reduced to 10 per cent during the latest censuses,” the Chief Minister had said.

He said that the high population growth caused poverty and illiteracy among the Muslim community. Muslims comprise 34.22 per cent of the 3.12 crore population of Assam, of which 4 per cent are indigenous Assamese Muslims and the remaining are mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims.

Muslim votes are a determining factor in at least 30 to 35 seats out of Assam’s total 126 Assembly seats. Of Assam’s 34 districts, 19 districts have 12 per cent or more Muslim population and in six districts (out of these 19 districts) the Muslim population constitutes 50 per cent or more.