India Behind The Lens (News Centre)

Guwahati : The final electoral roll published by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday has revealed that there is an increase of voters in the religious minority (Muslims) dominated areas of the State. It is interesting to observe that, the Muslim dominated Barpeta district in Assam has seen highest 4.97 per cent increase in voters in the State, which is highest in the State.

In Barpeta district, Baghpor Assembly Constituency witnessed 8.65 per cent increase in the number of voters compared to the draft electoral roll.

The final electoral roll published by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday has revealed this interesting fact relating to the number of voters in Assam.

Assam’s electoral roll showing voters inflation signals. According to the final electoral roll, the total number of voters in Assam is 1,85, 62145.  Out of which 9593899 are males and 8968246 are females. As per the draft electoral roll, the number of total voters in the State is 1,81,60423.

The total number of voters increased in the final electoral roll is 401722 and the increase is 2.21 per cent in comparison to the draft electoral roll.

Other Assembly constituencies in Barpeta district like Jonia, Barpeta, Sarukhetri, Chenga, Bhabanipur and Patacharkuchi have witnessed rise in numbers of voters at the rates of 7.63 per cent, 6.41 per cent, 4.68 per cent, 4.43 per cent, 4.70 per cent, 1.64 per cent and 1.36 per cent respectively.

Assembly Constituency wise, Majuli, the world’s largest river island in Jorhat district, has recorded 2.15 per cent decrease in number of voters, which is the lowest in the State.

It is also interesting that the Sivasagar district, land of the indigenous Assamese (Hindu) population, has seen the decrease in number of voters in the final electoral roll. The percentage of decrease in voters in Sivasagar district is also the lowest in Assam.

According to the final electoral roll, there is 0.13 per overall decrease in the number of voters in Sivasagar district – minus 1.76 per cent in Sivasagar Assembly Constituency, minus 0.56 per cent in Thowra, minus 0.16 per cent in Amguri, 0.71 per cent in Nazira, 0.68 per cent in Mahmara and 0.39 per cent in Sonari.



Besides Sivasagar, other districts of Assam have witnessed increase in the number of voters. There is 2.58 per cent increase in voters in Cachar district, 2.89 per cent in Karimganj district, 3.38 per cent in Hailakandi district, 1.12 per cent in Dima Hasao district, 2.21 per cent in Diphu, 2.91 per cent in Dhubri district, 2.61 per cent in Kokrajhar district, 2.89 per cent in Bongaigaon district, 4.24 per cent in Goalpara district, 2.34 per cent in Kamrup (rural) district, 1.75 per cent in Kamrup (metro) district and 1.37 per cent in Nalbari district.

The districts of Udalguri, Darrang, Sonitpur, Morigaon, Nagaon, Golaghat, Jorhat, Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Dibrugarh and Tinsukia have also witnessed rise in number of voters at the rates of 1.82 per cent, 2.44 per cent, 1.43 per cent, 1.78 per cent, 2.38 per cent, 1.38 per cent, 0.25 per cent, 2.97 per cent, 1.78 per cent, 1.08 per cent and 1.69 per cent respectively.

The provisional 2011 Census report for the state released in March 2011 had stated Assam’s population is now 3,11,69,272 registering an increase of 45,13,744 in the last 10 years. The population growth in the state during 1991-2001 was 18.92 per cent, according to the report. The 2001-11 decadel increase has been 16.93 per cent.

It is noteworthy that the highest growth of population at 24.40 per cent was in Dhubri district bordering Bangladesh.

Last year the BJP had raised the issue of abnormal rise in the number of voters in Assam in the 2010 electoral rolls to the Chief Election commissioner. It was argued that while the rise in voters at the national level is 1.6 per cent, it is 16 per cent in Assam. BJP had demanded to delete the names of illegal Bangladeshis from the voters list of Assam, to prepare a correct voters list before the 2011 Assembly election in Assam.

In 2011 polls, the Congress registered an unexpectedly huge victory by winning 78 of 126 seats of Assam Assembly. Tarun Gogoi has returned to power for his third consecutive term.

It was said that the poll outcome must primarily be attributed to the Muslim-backed AIUDF succeeded in doubling its strength from 9 to 18. The AIUDF gained overwhelmingly in the immigrant Muslim dominated areas of lower Assam where the party’s strength grew from 3 in 2006 to 13 in 2011.

Now, the question that has to be asked is what are very the reasons in the increase of voters in the religious minority (Muslims) dominated areas of the State and also how Muslim dominated Barpeta district in Assam has seen highest 4.97 per cent increase in voters.

In this spectrum, the report on ‘Illegal Migration into Assam’ prepared by General S K Sinha in year 2008 throws light on this issue. The report states that, “The dangerous consequences of large scale illegal migration from Bangladesh, both for the people of Assam and more for the Nation as a whole, need to be emphatically stressed. No misconceived and mistaken notions of secularism should be allowed to come in the way of doing so. As a result of population movement from Bangladesh, the spectre looms large of the indigenous people of Assam being reduced to a minority in their home State. Their cultural survival will be in jeopardy, their political control will be weakened and their employment opportunities will be undermined.”

He reports further comments, “The silent and invidious demographic invasion of Assam may result in the loss of the geostrategically vital districts of Lower Assam. The influx of these illegal migrants is turning these districts into a Muslim majority region”.

The rise in voter percentage in Assam, especially of Muslims, suggests that the comments made by Gen. S K Sinha is becoming a reality in Assam.

The report further comments that, “It will then only be a matter of time when a demand for their merger with Bangladesh may be made. The rapid growth of international Islamic fundamentalism may provide the driving force for this demand. In this context, it is pertinent that Bangladesh has long discarded secularism and has chosen to become an Islamic State. Loss of Lower Assam will sever the entire land mass of the North East, from the rest of India and the rich natural resources of that region will be lost to the Nation.”

Muslim population of Assam has shown a rise of 77.42% in 1991 from what it was in 1971. Hindu population has risen by nearly 41.89% in this period.

Muslim population in Assam has risen from 24.68% in 1951 to 28.42% in 1991. As per 1991 census, four districts (Dhubri, Goalpara, Barpeta and Hailakandi) have become Muslim majority districts. Two more districts (Nowgaon and Karimganj) should have become so by 1998 and one district (Morigaon) is fast approaching this population.

Gen S K Sinha has also revealed that it is also Pakistan's ISI has been active in Bangladesh supporting militant movements in Assam. Muslim militant organisations have mushroomed in Assam and there are reports of some 50 Assamese Muslim youth having gone for training to Afghanistan and Kashmir.

It seems that the much debated trend in Assam, of ‘First rise in Muslim population by infiltration from Bangladesh and then convert them into Voters (legal Citizen of India and politically strong minority)’, is coming into reality and taking a larger turn now.

Whether this reality will be instrumental in direct or indirect assault on the national, cultural and demographic integrity structure of India, is the question that needs to be discussed right now!