BHOPAL: Known for controversial statements, union minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) Giriraj Singh said on Thursday that “nationalism in India was under grave threat due to drastically changing population demography.”
Delivering a lecture on ‘Rashtravad ek Sankalp se Nav Bharat ki Siddhi’ in Bhopal, the union minister also said that stability of population of majority community (Hindus) was essential for a safe and secure democracy. “Decline in population of majority community will not only have a debilitating effect on democracy and social equity, but will also change the definition of nationalism in the country,” said Singh.
“Jahan jahan hinduvon ki jansankhya giri hai, vahan vahan rashtravad kamjor ho raha hai. (wherever the Hindu population is declining, nationalism is weakening),” said Singh.
He claimed that there are 54 districts in the country where the population demography has changed drastically. “Out of these 54 districts, five are in Kerala, nine in West Bengal, 12 in Assam, four in Bihar, 17 in UP and two districts in Jharkhand, where the population of Hindus has declined drastically. These districts, include Malappuram district of Kerala, where non-Muslims are not granted entry,” said Singh.
And it’s not only Hindus, whose population is under threat. A recent news report in a national daily revealed that 1300 Christian girls in Kerala are missing due to the vortex of Love Jihad, the minister added.
Singh said as per media reports, when India was partitioned Pakistan had 22% Hindu population, which is presently less than even one percent. On the contrary, in 1947, the Muslim population in India was around 8%, while the Hindus formed 90% of the country’s population. “The same media reports now say that while Hindu population has declined to 72%, the Muslim population has risen to over 20% of nation’s population.”
The union minister claimed that districts witnessing drastic demographic changes are redefining our cultural and religious nationalism. “Slowly the concept of Kaumiyat, the manner in which nationalism is approached in Islam is gaining momentum. Kaumiyat only talks about a particular community or section of society and not entire nation. I can bet the imagination of nationalism in Islam is equal to nought,” said Singh.
Advocating for a national law for putting a check on rising population, Singh said such a law should be applicable to all in the country, irrespective of the community or sect they belong to. “Such laws exist everywhere, including some Muslim nations, but it’s difficult to have the law in India, where everything, including nationalism, surgical strike by our forces and sacrifices of our jawans is questioned by some quarters,” maintained Singh.
“In our country people like Farooq Abdullah get food in India, but sing in praise of Pakistan. Congress leaders go to JNU in support of Afzal Guru, while another leader of the same party Manishankar Aiyar embraces separatists in Kashmir. But none of them have the courage to visit Cellular Jail in Andaman and Nicobar to visit the cell in which Veer Sawarkar was at the receiving end of British cruelty,” said Singh.
While questioning the recent statements by former J&K chief minister Farooq Abdullah, the union minister said had he (Abdullah) issued similar statements while being in Pakistan, his tongue would have been slashed. “Had Sardar Patel been our Prime Minister instead of Nehru, the Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) would have been part of India,” quipped Singh.