Muslim population continues to grow above the national rate. The community must be sensitised to the adverse effects this has on individuals as well as society at large
While there is a declining trend in population growth in general, the birth rate among Muslims is on the higher side. All attempts to check population is going in vain, so it appears. Also, Muslims are seemingly indifferent to this trend and to the harm that it is causing to the country and to them. For any average poor or even middle-class family, more mouths to feed means more hardship.
The latest religion-based population Census between 2001-2011 shows that the population of Muslims in India has grown at a faster pace. While the national average growth rate of population was registered at 17.7 per cent, during the same period Muslim population grew by 24.6 per cent. Population growth of Hindus on the other hand was registered lower than the national average. The Hindu population grew at 16.8 per cent followed by Christians at 15.4 per cent, Sikhs at 8.4 per cent, Buddhists at 6.1 per cent and Jains at 5.5 per cent.
The practice of cheating and misleading Muslims as vote-banks must stop. They should be told how the high population growth is eating into our national resources. The problem is there is no concern among Muslims about the impact of population growth on the economy — they are just not bothered about it. It is unfortunate that there is no healthy discourse amongst the ulemas on population explosion, as if it is a matter of no consequence. On the contrary, there is a tendency among the Muslims to view themselves as victims of injustice who do not get their fair share of economic growth. This is far from the truth.
Muslims may argue that their population growth rate has steadily decreased. It was growing at the rate of 32.9 per cent during 1981-1991. It declined to 29.3 per cent during 1991-2001 and further went down to 25.6 per cent as shown in the latest Census figure for 2001-2011. But this argument is not convincing. The growth rate population of Muslims should be at par with the national average or below. The population growth rate of Hindus on the other hand was at 22.8 per cent during 1981-1991 which fell to 20 per cent during 1991-2001 and, according to the latest Census, was 16.8 per cent during 2001-2011.
Here, I’d like stress that Manipur is the only State where the population of Muslims has come down by 0.4 per cent, whereas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it has gone up by 0.8 per cent and 0.3 per cent respectively. In Uttar Pradesh, the total population of Hindus is 15.93 crore compared to the Muslim population of 3.84 crore. The State’s total population is 19.98 crore. In Bihar, the total population is 10.49 crore of which Hindus count for 8.6 crore and Muslims 1.75 crore. Jammu & Kashmir has the highest Muslim population at 68.3 per cent.
Although Hindus are in majority in most of the Indian States, they are minorities in seven States and one Union Territory including Manipur. In some States, Hindus count for less than 10 per cent of the population. According to the latest Census figures, in the states of Mizoram, Nagaland, Jammu & Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab and Union Territory of lakshadweep, Hindus are minorities.
It is high time that the country wakes up and thinks about population growth. Social scientists and experts must put their heads together to check population explosion, if India is to grow as an economic power and remain a secular country.