New Delhi:
Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar today said the implications of a new population survey, which, among other things, showed that the Muslim community is growing exponentially, need to be examined from different angles to determine its impact. The most crucial aspect would be the issue of restraint in education and employment. “As a minority community grows, the question is how does it impact other minority communities, in terms of opportunities,” the minister said.
“Is there a risk that the other minority communities, such as Parsis and Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs and Christians, will be squeezed out of the benefits and schemes meant for minorities? From education, from jobs to opportunities?” the minister told NDTV in an exclusive interview.
Then there would be the issue of other communities, such as Other Backward Classes, who have been denied the same benefits for decades, especially when you see in the Congress struggle “where there is talk of going against the Constitution and giving more reservations to that same community.” he said.
The data from the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister shows that India's Hindu population declined by 7.82 percent between 1950 and 2015. The Muslim population has increased by 43.15 percent during the same period, indicating that there is a favorable environment in the country to promote diversity.
The paper, which comes amid elections, has sparked controversy, with many calling it “scaremongering.”
When asked about it, Mr. Chandrasekhar said time is irrelevant when it comes to facts.
“I especially don't feel that when there is a truth that is put out, data and facts that are put out, whether it is during the election, before the election or after the election, the facts remain the facts, the truth the truth remains. And there is no way people are trying to get out of an uncomfortable truth and find an easier truth,” he said.