GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday claimed that the population of Muslims of Bangladeshi origin in the state could rise to around 40 per cent by the time the next Census report is published in 2027, what he termed as a population 'takeover'.
Addressing BJP workers at a party event in Guwahati, Sarma referred to Census 2011 data, which put Assam’s Muslim population at 34 per cent, and projected an increase in the coming years. He specifically referred to Bengali-speaking Muslims of Bangladesh origin, often referred to as “Miya”, a term considered pejorative in Assam. The state also has an indigenous Muslim population.
“According to Census 2011, Muslim population in Assam was 34%. The population of Bangladeshi-origin Miya Muslims will be around 40% in Assam when Census 2027 report is published,” Sarma said.
Sarma attributed the alleged demographic change to what he described as the Congress party’s “weaknesses” and its “politics of appeasement”, claiming this had led to the emergence of another “civilisation” with a population of 1.5 crore in Assam.
“When I joined student politics from the platform of All Assam Students’ Union, the population of Bangladeshi-origin Muslims in Assam was 21% which is now touching 40%. I have seen this growth myself. My children will see Assamese population dropping to 30-35% with their own eyes,” Sarma said.
The chief minister further claimed that there was no state in the world where the population of indigenous communities had dropped below 60 per cent of the total population.
Referring to statements made by some politicians in Bangladesh about taking over the “Seven Sisters” (Northeast), , Sarma said the region could face political consequences if the population share of Bangladesh-origin Muslims in Assam crossed 50 per cent, leading to increased representation in the state Assembly.
“The Assamese will survive as long as they keep fighting,” Sarma said, adding that towns and cities could witness demographic change in the future. He described this as a “civilisation movement”.
Sarma said the BJP’s agenda was to “secure Assam for the new generation” and called for unity to protect the community. He also referred to recent events in Bangladesh, saying they had reinforced his belief that religion was prioritised differently there compared to India, where, he said, the “motherland” comes first.
He further stated that the Assamese could imagine what kind of a situation they would face 20 years from now, after having seen a Hindu man set on fire in Bangladesh recently.