Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday announced that his government will introduce two new bills in the upcoming Assam Assembly session aimed at addressing what he described as the “demographic imbalance” caused by the rising population of the Miya Muslim community in the state.
Speaking to reporters in Dibrugarh, Sarma projected that Assam’s Muslim population—particularly the Bengali-speaking Miya Muslim group—could increase to around 38 per cent in the next Census, up from 34.22 per cent recorded in 2011.
“When the next census is conducted and the report published, the Miya Muslim population will rise to 38 per cent and they will become the largest community in Assam,” the Chief Minister stated. “We will bring two important bills in the upcoming Assembly session to deal with this issue. These bills will safeguard our Jati, Maati, Bheti (community, land, and home).”
Sarma said the state government’s current efforts were a continuation of policies implemented over the last five years, but acknowledged that similar measures should have been initiated decades earlier. “If we had started this mission 30 years ago, we might not have faced the crisis that Assam is experiencing today,” he remarked.
Hinting at a prolonged campaign, the Chief Minister asserted that the government’s strategy would require sustained action over the next decade. “A fight has begun, and we must continue it until we reach our goal,” he said.
According to the 2011 Census, Muslims comprised 34.22 per cent of Assam’s total population. The proposed bills, details of which are yet to be disclosed, are expected to align with the government’s stated objective of protecting the cultural and demographic identity of the indigenous Assamese people.
