"Sign of destruction": Himanta Biswa Sarma flags concern over land sales altering Assam’s demographics

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday, November 9 raised concerns over what he termed as a “demographic change not only in numbers but also in wealth” in the state, citing alarming trends in land sale patterns.

Speaking on the issue of land transactions, the Chief Minister revealed that the government has begun closely scrutinising land sale permissions and found that a significant number of Hindus are selling land to Muslims, with such cases being “very high” even in upper Assam districts like Tinsukia.

"I have data on the growth of the Hindu and Muslim population between 2001 and 2011. You will see that everywhere the growth of the Hindu population is coming down, and the Muslim population is increasing in every block of Assam. We have also started scrutinising the land sale permission," said CM Sarma.

“In places like Tinsukia too, the number of cases where Hindus have sold land to Muslims is higher, while Muslims selling land to Hindus is very low,” Sarma said. “Among them, a few are Assamese Muslims, and we have no issue with that. But it is evident that there is a demographic change,” he added.

Sarma further cautioned that Assam’s demographic change is no longer confined to population statistics alone. “Till now, we thought the demographic change was in numbers. But now what we are witnessing is not only a demographic change in numbers but also in wealth,” he asserted, warning that this “shift in wealth ownership” could lead to long-term socio-economic imbalance.

Calling the trend a “sign of destruction,” the Chief Minister urged citizens to remain vigilant and safeguard their land and property to ensure the state’s demographic and economic stability.