Birds In The Coop

A controversial new population policy targets the minorities

- Kaushik Deka

On September 15, the Assam legislative assembly passed a resolution adopting the ‘Population and Women Empowerment Policy of Assam’. The policy bars anyone with more than two children from contesting municipal and panchayat elections, getting government jobs and other benefits. It also says that people who violate the legal age of marriage will not be eligible for government jobs in Assam.

Moving the resolution, Assam finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was pretty explicit about who it was aimed at: “Census data shows that the Hindu population has declined while ‘the minority’ has witnessed a sharp increase. We have to protect indigenous people’s rights... the change in Assam’s demographics is a matter of concern.”

In a state where nine Muslim dominated districts have witnessed higher population growth than the state’s average decadal growth (