Population issue: Assam CM Himanta Sarma to meet 150 Muslim intellectuals today

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma will hold a meeting with leaders of the minority community to discuss the population issue. He told reporters on Saturday that the meeting will involve 150 Muslim intellectuals.

"During last 1 month, I met both fractions of All Assam Minority Students' Union and everybody has said that population is a problem and we need to resolve it. In Assam, there is no controversy," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

"They (outside people) don't understand seriousness of situation and create controversy merely because BJP CM has said this. This can't be a controversy. People should welcome if somebody is trying to eradicate poverty and illiteracy among minority people," he further said.

Sarma had said last month that his government will introduce a population policy with two-child norm, and will give benefits to families adhering to it.

The chief minister had said that the Muslim community has been growing at a higher rate - 29 per cent (decadal) - in the state than the Hindus - at 10 per cent. Sarma said that he will discuss the population control measures with the leaders of the Muslim community and urge them to spread those.

He had also said that the two-child policy is the only way to eradicate poverty and illiteracy in the Muslim community in the state. The chief minister said that there is no resistance from the community.

Sarma has bene meeting the leaders of the Muslim community, explaining them the government's policy. He said organisations like All Assam Minority Students' Union admitted that Muslims in the state need population control measures.

The state government's primary objective is to expand health and educational initiatives and check the growth of Muslim population through such steps, Sarma had said.