The Assam chief minister said that he is in constant touch with the leaders of the Muslim community and will hold consultations with several organisations next month
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that two-child policy is the only way to eradicate poverty and illiteracy in the Muslim community in the state and there is no resistance from the community regarding the same. He said this in view of the new population norms in Assam.
“It’s for the welfare of the minority community and I don’t think there is any resistance from them. All Assam Minority Students’ Union met me last month and admitted that Muslims in Assam need population control measures. I am meeting Muslim intellectuals in July, and I am sure they will support state government’s policy,” Sarma said on Tuesday, according to news agency ANI.
The state government’s primary objective is to expand health and educational initiatives and check the growth of Muslim population through such steps, Sarma had earlier told news agency PTI.
“Assam has been able to manage its annual population growth at 1.6 per cent, but when we lift the veil off the statistics, it is found that the Muslim population is growing at a rate of 29 per cent (decadal), whereas the Hindus are growing at 10 per cent,” Sarma had claimed.
The Assam chief minister said that he is in constant touch with the leaders of the Muslim community and will hold consultations with several organisations next month to create some kind of leadership within the community. Sarma will be meeting around 150 Muslim intellectuals and other experts next month regarding the same.
Sarma had recently said that his government was planning to introduce a population policy with a two-child norm, and families adhering to it can avail benefits under certain schemes. “We will gradually incorporate a two-child policy for availing government benefits. You can consider this an announcement,” he said.
(With inputs from agencies)
