Assamese Hindus now only about 40% of state's population: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday claimed that Assamese Hindus now make up only around 40 per cent of the state’s population, about the same as that of Muslims.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme here, Sarma said the state has witnessed a sharp shift in its population composition, and termed the Centre's proposed Demography Mission a significant step towards addressing the issue.

"Assam has been a big victim of demographic change. In 2021, the Muslim population crossed 38 per cent, and as we speak, it is about 39.5 per cent of the state population," he said.

He claimed that districts like Majuli, known as the seat of Vaishnavite culture and the world’s largest inhabited river island, have seen 100 per cent growth in Muslim population.

However, he clarified that the increase was not due to natural growth among local Muslims, but because of infiltrators.

The Assam CM added that the Christian population in the state is around 6–7 per cent, and that "if people from other parts and communities are excluded, Assamese Hindus are not more than 40 per cent today." "These figures are based on projections over the 2011 Census data. We are concerned about the situation," he said.

Sarma maintained that the Demographic Mission, announced by PM Narendra Modi during Independence Day speech, is the first definitive step to address the issue.

He also cited Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent statement in Delhi, claiming that the rise in the Muslim population was not just due to internal growth but also due to people coming from outside.

"The central government will form a high-power committee under this mission to detect, delete, and deport infiltrators. It is for the first time that the government of India has spoken in such clear terms," Sarma said, adding that he would seek further clarity on the initiative in his next meeting with Shah.

Sarma claimed on Friday that 'Miya-Muslims' (Bengali-speaking Muslims) will emerge as the largest community in the state in the next census, constituting more than 38 per cent of population.

'Miya' is originally a pejorative term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in Assam and the non-Bengali speaking people generally identify them as Bangladeshi immigrants.

In recent years, activists from the community have started adopting this term as a gesture of defiance.