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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed on Tuesday December 23 that if the population of people from neighboring Bangladesh in Assam increases by 10 percent, his state could automatically become part of Bangladesh. Speaking to reporters after an official event in Guwahati, Sarma said he has been expressing concern about uncontrolled migration for the past five years.
The Assam Chief Minister said that 40 percent of his state’s population is of Bangladeshi origin. “If it increases by another 10 percent, we will automatically become part of it,” he said. He made this statement in response to an alleged remark by a Bangladeshi leader regarding the merger of the Northeast with Dhaka.
Controversial Statement by Bangladeshi Leader
Earlier this month, Hasanat Abdullah, a leader of the newly formed National Citizen Party (NCP) in Bangladesh, allegedly said that if New Delhi tries to destabilize Bangladesh, Dhaka should isolate India’s northeastern states and support separatist elements. Abdullah claimed that the northeastern region is geographically vulnerable as it depends on the narrow Siliguri Corridor, also known as the Chicken’s Neck, for connectivity to mainland India.
Himanta Biswa Sarma’s Concerns about the Muslim Population
Himanta Biswa Sarma recently reiterated his previous warnings about migrants, claiming that if the Muslim population exceeds 50 percent, other communities in Assam will not be able to survive. Speaking at an event, he said that due to decades of uncontrolled migration, the indigenous population of Assam is facing an existential crisis.
According to Sarma’s estimates, the Muslim population of Assam was projected to be around 38 percent in 2021. Due to a consistent decadal growth rate of 4-5 percent since 1961, it could increase to 40 percent by 2027. He argued that identity politics in Assam has become not an option, but a necessity for survival.
