Guwahati: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma, on the final day of the 15th assembly, warned that the 2027 census could make the Assamese community a minority in the state and said the next five years would be challenging. He also projected that Assam would reach a Rs 10 lakh crore economy by 2027-28.Delivering his final speech in the outgoing House during the motion of thanks to the governor’s address, Sarma said the last five years were spent trying to offer hope to Assamese society at a time he described as “surrounded by thick darkness”, linking the situation to demographic pressure and what he called aggression from migrant Muslims.
“We are in politics in a deciding moment where the Assamese community is going through thick darkness. In 2027, in a way, the census will turn the Assamese people a minority in Assam,” Sarma said.Sarma said Assamese people from districts such as Dhubri and Majuli had called him and told him they felt convinced about their safety and security under the BJP-led govt. He said the govt resolved to give the new generation a fresh direction by strengthening education, courage and prowess, and claimed Assam advanced in education, culture, the economy, politics and social development over the last five years. Sarma also said he completed 25 years as a member of the assembly, including stints as a minister and chief minister.BJP has repeatedly raised concerns about demographic change in Assam, linking it to illegal infiltration, and has pointed out that nine districts in lower, central and south Assam have already become Muslim-majority. As per the 2011 Census, Assam had a Muslim population of 1.07 crore, or 34.22 per cent of the state’s 3.12 crore population. Sarma has recently claimed the share of Bangladesh-origin migrant Muslims could reach 40 per cent in the 2027 census.Alongside the demographic warning, Sarma projected higher growth and stronger state finances. “Assam set a target to become a Rs 10 lakh crore economy by 2030. Next year, ours will be a Rs 8.71 lakh crore economy,” he said, adding he expected Assam to reach Rs 10 lakh crore in 2027-28.He said Assam was nearing a point where it could pay govt employees’ salaries and pensions entirely from tax revenue, describing it as a first in 77 years. “Our tax devolution increased to 3.25 per cent,” he said, adding Assam could receive around Rs 50,000 crore through tax devolution in 2026-27.Citing RBI data, Sarma said the Indian economy grew by 29 per cent during 2021-2025 while Assam grew by 45 per cent in the same period, and said the state was officially recognised as the fastest-growing economy among Indian states.On the tea sector, Sarma said as Assam marks 200 years of tea, the govt is committed to distributing land pattas to tea garden workers and indicated daily wages may be increased from March 1. He attacked previous Congress govts, accusing them of neglecting tea garden workers and alleging they were responsible for encroachment on 30 lakh bighas of forest land.
