“If there is a threat to religion, culture and education, even Hindus can be called a minority. In the case of Assam, the definition of a minority is 65 years. That will change now, ”Chief Minister Himanta Bishwa Sharma said in response to a question from opposition leaders in the Assam Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.
The Chief Minister said that religious minorities should be segregated on district basis and not on language basis.
“There is no definition of minority in the Indian constitution. However, the constitution provides security and safety to minorities. Who will be eligible as a minority will be determined by the constitution. The National Commission for Minorities has identified some communities as minorities in India, ”he said.
Sarma said there is an idea in India that only Muslims are a minority.
“The definition of minority is different in every district. The SC, in its 1999 ruling, explicitly states that those who pose a threat to education and culture are a minority. Recently, the SC said that Hindus could also be a minority. ”
On Monday, Sarma said the Muslim community was the majority here and could no longer be considered a minority in the northeastern state.
“When Hindus are not the majority in the state, you can declare them as a minority. There are many districts in Assam where Hindus are a minority. Some of them have less than 5,000 Hindus, ”the chief minister told the media.
“The Muslim community in Assam is in the majority. It’s not just my opinion. Statistically, Muslims are the largest community in Assam, “Sarma added
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