Assamese Hindus now about 40 per cent of population: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on October 12 said that Assamese Hindus now constitute only around 40 per cent of the state’s population—roughly the same as that of Muslims—calling it a “matter of concern” and urging swift action under the Centre’s proposed Demography Mission.

Addressing reporters in Guwahati, Sarma stated that Assam has undergone a “sharp demographic shift” over the years. “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.

Citing projections based on 2011 Census data, Sarma said that the population of Assamese Hindus has dropped significantly when compared to earlier decades. “If people from other parts and communities are excluded, Assamese Hindus are not more than 40 per cent today,” he added.

The Chief Minister pointed to districts such as Majuli—known as the centre of Vaishnavite culture and the world’s largest inhabited river island—as examples of the demographic transformation. According to him, these areas have seen “100 per cent growth in Muslim population,” which he attributed not to natural population increase but to infiltration.

Sarma said the Christian population in Assam stands at about 6–7 per cent. He underscored that the proposed Demography Mission, announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his Independence Day address, is a “crucial initiative” to tackle the issue.

“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,” the Chief Minister said, adding that he would seek further details in his upcoming meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

Referring to Shah’s recent comments in Delhi, Sarma said that the rise in Assam’s Muslim population is “not just due to internal growth but also due to people coming from outside.”

Earlier on Friday, the Chief Minister had remarked that ‘Miya-Muslims’—a term used for Bengali-speaking Muslims in the state—could emerge as the largest community in Assam in the next census, likely forming over 38 per cent of the total population.

The term ‘Miya’, once used as a slur to label Bengali-origin Muslims as “Bangladeshi immigrants,” has in recent years been reappropriated by activists from the community as a symbol of identity and resistance. (With inputs from PTI)