Porni Banerjee | ১০ মে ২০২৪ ০৮ : ৪২

A recent study conducted by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) revealed that the Hindu population share in India shrunk by 7.81 percent between 1950 and 2015 and that Muslim population grew by a record 43 percent in the same period.

The study titled, “Share of religious minorities: A cross-country analysis,” highlighted that the Hindu population in the country fell from 84 percent in 1950 to 78 percent in 2015. 
In contrast, the share of minorities, including Muslims, Christian, Buddhist and Sikhs, went up in the same period. Whereas, the number of Jains and Parsis in the population mix went down and stood at 0.36 per cent and 0.004 per cent respectively in 2015.

Between 1950-2015, the Muslim population share in India surged by 43.15 percent, Christians saw an increase of 5.38 percent, Sikhs rose by 6.58 percent, and Buddhist population also witnessed an upward trend, as per the study.
In addition to India, Nepal and Myanmar’s Hindu population also saw a decline of 3.6 percent and 10 percent respectively.

“Within the immediate neighborhood of South Asia, India has witnessed the biggest decline in the majority population (7.82%) only next to Myanmar - which has witnessed a 10 percent decline in its majority population over 65 years,” economists of the report Shamika Ravi, Abraham Jose, and Apurv Kumar Mishra revealed.

Amit Malviya, BJP’s IT Cell head blamed the Congress for such sharp decline of Hindus in the country, saying on X, “The share of Hindus shrunk 7.8% between 1950 and 2015. The Muslim population grew at 43%. This is what decades of Congress rule did to us. Left to them, there would be no country for Hindus.”

Released in May, the study, after meticulous examination, suggested that “minorities are not just protected but indeed thriving in India.”