Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday claimed that the state is witnessing not only a demographic change but also an “economic shift,” suggesting that Muslims in the state are becoming more prosperous while the Hindu population growth is slowing down. He said this trend indicates that “a chapter of the Assamese people’s surrender has begun.”
Speaking at a press conference after a cabinet meeting in Guwahati, Sarma said, “I have the data on the growth of the Hindu and Muslim populations between 2001 and 2011. In every block of Assam, the growth of the Hindu population is coming down and the Muslim population is increasing.”
He said the government has noticed that land sale permissions from Hindus to Muslims have increased significantly, while sales in the opposite direction are fewer. “We are seeing that the sale of land from Hindus to Muslims is very high, while the vice versa is less,” he said, adding that the data includes transactions involving Assamese and indigenous Muslims, and that his government has no issue with that.
Sarma also claimed that this demographic change is accompanied by an economic transformation. “Apart from demographic change, there has been a shift in wealth creation as well. So far, we were thinking that only the numbers have risen, but now see that even the wealth pattern has changed,” he said.
The chief minister said that while a demographic change could be accepted to some extent, an economic shift could have a more damaging impact. “You can sometimes accept the demographic change in population, but witnessing an economic shift signals complete destruction,” he remarked.
Sarma said that his government has been gathering this information since it introduced a directive last year requiring prior approval from the chief minister’s office for land sale transactions between Hindus and Muslims.
He added that he plans to hold another press conference soon to present more detailed data on the issue.
