The Assam government has released a comprehensive report detailing the number of people entering the state from 1971 to 2014. It reveals that over 43% of the 47,928 foreigners detected during this period, who came to the state to reside, are Hindus.
Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also oversees the Home Department, provided the figures on Thursday in response to a written query from AGP MLA Ponakan Baruah.
"According to the data, Foreigners' Tribunals identified 20,613 Hindus and 27,309 Muslims as non-citizens during this period, with six individuals belonging to other religions," Sarma said.
The breakdown shows that among the 20,613 Hindus declared as illegal immigrants, the largest numbers came from Cachar district (8,139), Guwahati city (2,884), Lakhimpur district (1,574), and Dibrugarh district (1,038).
For Muslims, significant numbers were declared illegal immigrants from Jorhat district (4,182), Guwahati city (3,897), Dibrugarh district (2,829), and several other districts including Hojai, Sivasagar, Nagaon, and Cachar. The data underscores the geographical spread of the issue across Assam.
The Assam Accord stipulates midnight March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for identifying and deporting illegal migrants.
According to the Assam Accord, any foreigners arriving in the state on or after March 25, 1971, will have their names detected and removed from electoral rolls, with measures taken to deport them.
Reflecting on demographic changes, Sarma noted that according to the 2011 census, Assamese-speaking people comprised 48.38% of the state's population, while Bengali-speaking people accounted for 28.92%.
When asked if the rising number of non-Assamese speakers posed a threat to indigenous communities, Sarma assured that the government is closely monitoring the situation.
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