GUWAHATI, June 29: Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma has claimed that the state government’s decision to take specific policy measures to slow down minority population growth has been welcomed by organisations such as the All Assam Minorities Students’ Union (AAMSU) and that there has been no resistance from any minority group.
“In fact, the AAMSU leaders have met me and openly welcomed the move which is for the well-being of the community. I will deliberate on the matter with 150 Muslim intellectuals of the state on July 4 so that the message is spread and the approach is understood by the community,” Sarma told mediapersons here on Tuesday.
The chief minister had on Monday told a section of the media that the state government’s primary objective was to expand health and educational initiatives, and check the growth of Muslim population with an aim to eradicate poverty and illiteracy.
“Subsequently, I will have intensive meetings with various other socio-economic organsations of the Muslim community to support the move as population control is the only way to eradicate poverty and illiteracy among the minority communities,” he said.
Pointing out an imbalance in decadal population growth among communities, Sarma said that the Muslim population in Assam has been growing at a rate of 29 per cent while that of Hindus at only 10 per cent.
The chief minister also referred to a population control policy for which the incentives are being worked out.
“You already know about the disincentives of not adhering to population control. We are working out the incentives now,” Sarma said
As it is, the state government is working on a legislation to find out ways to implement the two-child policy on government jobs, government welfare schemes, etc.