Assam mulls ‘population army’ to create awareness
Proposed population control measures include voluntary sterilisation, 2-child limit
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that his government was contemplating to have a ‘population army’ to distribute contraceptives and create awareness about population control in Muslim-dominated areas of the state.
Pointing out that a 1,000strong force will be sent to Western Assam’s remote riverine areas, he told Assam assembly, “Around
1,000 youths from the char chapori (riverine island) will be engaged to create awareness about population control measures and to supply contraceptives. We are also planning to create a separate work force of ASHA (accredited social health activists) workers who will be tasked with creating awareness about birth control and also supply contraceptives.”
He claimed that if population growth among Hindus in Assam was 10 per cent from 2001 to 2011, it was 29 per cent among Muslims.
“Due to a smaller population, lifestyle of Hindus in Assam has become better, with spacious houses and vehicles, and children becoming doctors and engineers,” asserted the Chief Minister who has been pushing hard for an effective
population control measure to check the “population explosion” which he claims is driven by the state’s minority population.
The proposed population control measures include voluntary sterilisation and enforcement of a two-child limit for couples looking to access state-run welfare schemes.
Also stressing the need for education of people in these high-population areas, the chief minister said, “The people of Upper Assam will not relate to the struggles that western and central Assam people face due to the burden of higher population.”
Sarma said that out of compulsion, Muslims have started encroaching on forest lands. He said that a ground assessment of the minority areas is needed more than the surveys to assess the impending dangers.