Debates on population control gained momentum in the state of Assam after the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government assumed power in the state in May 2021.

From the beginning of his tenure, the chief minister has been asserting that his government stands for a stringent population policy and will gradually implement the two-child norm for availing government benefits in the state.

Now it has been made clear that except for the tea tribes, Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Castes, the two-child norms will be applicable for all benefits of the government, including the loan waiver schemes.

Sarma, however, has also acknowledged the fact that ‘education, health, ending child marriage and financial inclusion’ are the core means to control population, particularly among Muslims. While the stringent population control approach itself has been abandoned as both inhumane and unrealistic, any sectarian approach in this regard may invite more challenges than sustainable solutions.

Exponential population growth among the East Bengal-origin Muslims in Assam has been a real concern. It has given birth to anxieties among the indigenous communities regarding their political security. The emergence of the All India United Democratic Front in the East Bengal-origin Muslim-dominated districts as a formidable political force has added fuel to this anxiety.

However, the divisive political agenda on part of the incumbent government, constantly driving the exclusionary narrative of ‘we’ versus ‘they’ and also bringing in the narrative of the civilisational threat posed by the exponential population growth among the community has only helped the dominant political forces among the community to implant prejudices and unscientific temperaments and to tighten the patriarchal hold.

There is no denial of the fact that early marriage and more children of the poor mothers from within the Bengali Muslim community cause harm to maternal health and that adds to the burden of the infant mortality ratio and maternal mortality ratio in the state.

It has its impact on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Assam has performed poorly in the SDGs and its worst in the domain of health and well-being. This requires collective efforts to secure health and well-being of the poor mothers.

That can be achieved, provided the forward-looking and rational section from within the community is taken into confidence so that the prejudices spread by the patriarchal and feudal elements may be pushed to the margin.

The attempt on the part of the incumbent government, to project the community as a civilisational threat to the indigenous communities is not going to help in achieving the very objective of empowered, literate and healthy motherhood that will contribute towards achieving population targets. What we require is a harmonious and healthy approach based on mutual trust and accommodative politics.

This is the third in a series of stories on Uttar Pradesh and Assam’s draft population bill. Read the fourth part here