By Masihuddin Sanjari for TwoCircles.net
Religion based census data has recently been released by the central government of India sparking a debate along communal lines1 . Exploiting the data for communal reasons, the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) vice-president, and party in-charge of Uttar Pradesh, Mr. Om Mathur declared recently that, “By making religion-based data public, our govt. has given a befitting reply to political parties creating hue and cry over the release of caste-based data”2.
It appears that the ruling party has resolved to exploit the religion-based data for communal polarization. Never mind that the BJP itself had demanded that caste-based data of census be made public along with Laloo Yadav, Nitish Kumar, Mulayam Singh and Ram Vilas Paswan during the previous Congress regime. But today the circumstances have changed with a BJP government in power at the Center. It is likely that a reason to oppose releasing caste-based data is to avert a revelation of any Hindu caste having a growth rate parallel to Muslims, and thereby diluting the issue of supposed run-away Muslim population growth that the BJP wants to propagate and exploit.
What the Census 2011 data shows:
The BJP and its allies continue their effort to shape the narrative around the growth of India’s Muslim population. Per the census Census 2011, Muslims are now 14.2% of the total population (a rise of 0.8% in last decade), while Hindus have dropped below the 80% mark to 79.8% of the total population (a fall of 0.7%)3. It is also correct that the rate of growth among Muslims has been 24.6%, and the same has been 16.8% among Hindus.
However, the above data belies a more significant pattern: the 2011 Census data tells us that there is a declining trend in the growth rate of Muslims over last 3 decades, and that it is sharper than the Hindu community. In fact, the rate of growth among the Muslim population has been falling consistently over the last 3 decades from 34.5% in 1991 to 29.5% in 2001, and now 24.6% in 2011 Census4. In terms of absolute number, there are now 2.4 crores more Muslims since the last decade, and 13.9 crore more Hindus. Hence, the 2011 Census data counters claims that Muslims will soon overtake Hindus in India.
Female feticide revealed by Census 2011 data:
A higher rate of growth of any population is multifactorial, and may always not be the result of an increase in birth rate. For example, any community or group with less number of women, even if the birth rate is the same, will have lesser proportion in total population. Census 2011 tells us that the number of women per thousand men among Muslims is 951, and while among Hindus it is only 939. The data indicates towards the practice of feticide as it cannot be justified by any means that the birth rate of female baby in any society or group is less than male babies.
Female feticide is a heinous crime prevalent among both Hindus and Muslims. But the data shows that this practice among Muslims is less than Hindus, and their rate of reform is also better than the majority community. Men and women together make a family and birth rate is determined accordingly. It may be summed up that feticide resulting in decline of sex ratio may affect the proportion of population of one community or group even if the birth rate is the same. Besides hindrances in widow remarriage and practice of celibacy may also adversely affect Hindu population. A debate should be initiated on these factors and their possible effects on population.
Social and political organizations are also to be blamed for their failure to curb such heinous and anti-woman crimes as feticide. Enacting severe laws are not enough to overcome these crimes especially under the circumstances where culprits easily escape punishment and at times they are provided political cover too, at the individual and organizational levels. Khap Panchayats are its example. It is no secret now that these Panchayats are provided with political cover and in turn used for caste and communal polarization.
And this brings us back to the previously mentioned Mr. Om Mathur who is not only national vice-president of BJP but is also attached to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). He and his colleagues proudly declare that RSS is the largest social and cultural organization and BJP is the biggest cadre based political party of the country. Therefore, they must own their share of responsibility and acknowledge their failure to eradicate social evil like feticide instead of communalizing the issue for short term political gains. They must prevent Togadias and Yogis from spilling venom against Muslims and spreading hatred between the communities. Instead, they should come out with new strategy to deal with this devil of national shame. Fresh data shows that India’s overall sex ratio in babies between 0-6 years has reached at its lowest level of 927 girls per thousand males,5 This is a serious problem which is already creating social imbalance in our society. Therefore, instead of giving befitting reply to political rivals through misinterpretation of data, it would be in the interest of our country to adopt a shared, nationalistic approach towards ending high rate of female feticide.
Foot Note:
1http://twocircles.net/2015aug25/1440523667.html
2http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-bjp-s-om-mathur-hails-govt-for-releasing-religion-based-census-2118876
3http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muslim-population-grows-marginally-faster-census-2011-data-show/article1-1384095.aspx
4http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/muslim-population-grows-marginally-faster-census-2011-data-show/article1-1384095.aspx
5Census 2011 Sex ratio: http://www.censusindia.gov.in/%28S%28zfpud2bvait2su3adkmkqh45%29%29/Tables_Published/A-Series/A-Series_links/t_00_004.aspx
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Masihuddin Sanjari is an Azamgarh-based journalist and activist.