The magazine Organiser, affiliated with the RSS, recently published an article recommending a national population policy. The article specifically targets Muslims by calling them the prime reason for the population explosion in India. Further, the article emphasises the change in socio-political power due to the rising Muslim population in India.
The article’s main focus is the growing Muslim population, and it makes the case that this demographic shift may eventually result in profound socio-political changes. RSS is concerned that the number of elected members in parliament may be impacted if the next census results reveal a significant population shift.
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But how accurate are these claims?
The myth of a disproportionate rise in the Muslim population has been disproved by recent data and analyses, which essentially expose it as propaganda. Based on census data, studies reveal that the growth rate of the Muslim population in India is comparable to that of other communities.
In fact, of all the religious communities, Muslims have experienced the biggest decline in fertility over the past 20 years: from 4.4 in 1992 to 2.6 in 2015. By contrast, the fertility rate among Hindus decreased from 3.3 to 2.1. For Muslims, this indicates a 40.91% decrease, and for Hindus, it represents a 36.36% decrease.
The 2011 Census data shows that there were 172 million Muslims and 966 million Hindus. The data also shows that the RSS persists in calling for population control, mainly targeting Muslims, despite the significant difference in population. This data refutes the myth of a rapidly expanding Muslim population and emphasizes that it is a product of propaganda intended to create division rather than accurately reflecting India’s real demographic trends.
