GUWAHATI: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, recently, claimed that there has been a significance demographic changes in Assam.
He said: “I have come from Assam, and the change in demography is a significant issue for me.”
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He said that the Muslim population in Assam was just 14 percent in 1951.
“The Muslim population in Assam was 14 per cent in 1951. It has increased to 40 per cent today,” said Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The Assam chief minister added: “I have lost many districts. For me, this is not a political issue but a matter of life and death.”
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CM Sarma reiterated this claim on X, asserting that the Muslim population in Assam had risen from 14 per cent in 1951 to 40 per cent today.
To verify Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s claims, Alt News examined the 1961 religious census report available on the union government’s Census India website.
This document provides data on the population by religion for Assam and other states, comparing figures from 1951 and 1961.
According to the report, the Muslim population in Assam in 1951 was recorded as 19,95,936, constituting 22.60 per cent of the total population.
By 1961, the Muslim population in Assam had increased to 27,65,509, making up 23.29 per cent of the total population.
This official data contradicts the claim made by the Assam chief minister.
Additionally, the document includes a brief note on six major religions in India, with information on page 22 about the Muslim population.
It confirms that in 1951, the Muslim population in Assam was 19,95,936, which increased to 27,65,509 by 1961.
Conclusion
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s claim regarding the Muslim population in the state was found to be inaccurate.
He stated that the Muslim population was 14 per cent in 1951, whereas the actual data from the Indian government’s 1951 Census indicates that the Muslim population was 22.6 per cent of the total population of the state.