Citing worries over what he called a demographic imbalance in the state, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asked Hindu households to abandon the single-child norm and think about having two or even three children.
Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters that changes were evident in all constituencies, with population rise in some and reduction in others.
Indeed, the population has grown in some areas while it has decreased in others. When the final list is released, we will receive the precise numbers," he stated.
The Chief Minister asserted, however, that minority-dominated districts saw a greater rate of population growth. While the birth rate among Hindus is steadily declining, it is quite high in some areas.
This distinction is evident," Himanta Biswa Sarma remarked. He maintained that in order to preserve what he referred to as societal balance, such inequities necessitated a reconsideration of family planning conventions.
For this reason, I advise Hindus to have more than one child. He added that demographic stability was crucial for the long-term viability of families and society, and that Hindu households should consider having at least two children, if not a third.
According to Himanta Biswa Sarma, the government has continuously urged Muslim families to have fewer children while simultaneously pushing Hindu families to have more.
"We advise Muslims against having seven or eight children. However, we advise Hindus to have more children so that their families can support themselves," he stated. He also mentioned the possibility of future care and support issues in households with only one child.
In a separate statement, the Chief Minister reaffirmed his opposition to associating Muslim preacher Ajan Fakir with Vaishnavite saint Srimanta Sankardeva.
He dismissed attempts to create a unified "Shankar-Ajan" identity for Assam, stating that Sankardeva was historically only linked with his pupil Madhavdeva.
Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that there was no historical proof of a direct relationship between Srimanta Sankardeva and Azan Pir. "People objecting to my de-hyphenation of Srimanta Sankardeva with Azan Pir should learn basic history."
