Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has made headlines with his assertion that the state will become a Muslim-majority by 2041. Speaking on Friday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that the Muslim population in Assam is growing at a rate of 30 percent every decade, a figure he believes will result in Muslims becoming the majority in the next two decades.
According to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Muslims now constitute 40 percent of Assam’s population, based on what he referred to as “statistical sampling.” He compared this growth rate to that of Hindus, stating that while the Hindu population is increasing by approximately 16 percent every ten years, the Muslim population’s growth rate significantly outpaces it. “In every decade, there is an addition of 22 lakh Muslims,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.
These comments have ignited controversy, with opposition parties accusing Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of spreading misinformation and fueling divisive rhetoric. Congress leader and former MP Danish Ali criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s claims as baseless, pointing to census data that shows the Muslim population in Assam was around 25 percent in 1951 and 34.22 percent in 2011. Ali attributed the apparent increase in Muslim population to the creation of new states from Assam’s territory, such as Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and Meghalaya, where non-Muslims are the majority.
Ali dismissed Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s statements as falsehoods intended to sow discord. He humorously suggested that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma deserves an award for his alleged dishonesty. Additionally, Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi challenged Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s credibility by recalling his previous behavior during election campaigns in minority-dominated areas. Gogoi accused Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the BJP of engaging in political rhetoric that disregards the realities of Assam’s demographics and the forthcoming 2024 elections.
Earlier in the week, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had expressed deep concern over Assam’s shifting demographic landscape, framing it as a matter of “life and death” rather than a mere political issue. He has frequently addressed the topic of population growth among the Muslim community and has proposed measures to address what he describes as challenges posed by illegal immigration and land encroachment.
As the debate continues, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s remarks have fueled a broader discussion on demographic changes in Assam and the political strategies surrounding these shifts.
