The Assam government on Friday accepted the opposition Congress’s demand to postpone the discussion on population control among the Muslim community, though Speaker Biswajit Daimary allowed it. When the Congress was about to stage a walk-out if its demand was not met, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Piyush Hazarika said the government was ready to postpone the discussion. Friday is the last day of the budget session. Following the minister’s statement, the speaker adjourned the proceedings for five minutes.
When the House resumed, Demary said, “I am here as an arbiter. If both sides (Treasury and Opposition Bench) reach a unanimous decision, I am happy…. The Speaker has some discretionary power. But whatever is convenient for the House, it should be done.”
Earlier, when the House met, the Speaker had said that the discussion on the private member’s special motion, moved by Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed on August 10, would be taken as the first order of business and the Chief Minister would take up the government after the discussion. Have a response. Ahmed, in his special resolution, said that if measures were taken to spread education and develop health facilities and means of communication, the birth rate among the Muslim population of Assam, especially those living in riverine areas, would be reduced. .
Congress Deputy Leader of Opposition Rakibul Hussain and AIUDF MLA Aminul Islam said a discussion on a private member’s special motion or bill cannot take place on a day when the official business discussion is listed. Hussain proposed that the discussion be held in a separate session as Ahmed had raised a similar issue earlier during this ongoing session.
Speaker Daimary said he had announced in the House on August 10 that the motion would be discussed and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma would reply on Friday, and then no one raised any objection. Although the Speaker allowed the discussion, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs agreed to the Congress proposal and said that the discussion would be adjourned.
On 19 July, Congress MLA Ahmed had raised a similar matter under a separate provision of the Assembly, suggesting various measures to reduce the birth rate among Muslims, especially in the Char-Chaporis (river areas). among the people living in Ahmed had proposed the establishment of educational institutions, preventing child marriage, improving health and communication services, providing employment in the government and private sectors based on population representation, and facilitating easy availability of birth control measures among women.
The CM replied to Ahmed that day saying that his government had no objection to the proposals, except those proposals which pertain to providing employment as it should be based on merit and not on population representation. He had said that if he made relevant changes, the House would accept the motion without any debate. Accordingly, the Congress member moved a special resolution on 10 August.
According to the 2011 census, Muslims constitute 34.22 per cent of Assam’s total population of 3.12 crore and they form a majority in several districts. In June, Sarma urged the Muslim community to adopt a “civilized family planning policy” for population control to reduce poverty.
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