Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has slammed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat's call for a broad population control policy that applied to all, irrespective of religious differences.
Mr. Vijayan termed Mr. Bhagawat's statement Islamophobic and patently anti-minority.
The RSS chief's implication that religion-based population balance was necessary for nationhood had grave consequences for the country's secular, liberal and democratic polity.
Mr. Vijayan said Mr. Bhagawat had stoked hate by spreading the lie that Hindus would soon become a minority in Kerala. "It is an old Sangh Parivar weapon. Mr. Bhagawat has just deployed the instrument of hate again," he said.
Population increase calculations were based on the Total Fertility Rate (TFR). The National Health Survey had published the figures. In the past 20 years, the TFR of Muslims had shown a steady decline. The TFR of Muslims dropped by 2.3 compared to 1.9 for Hindus. The TFR for Muslims was 4.4 in 1992-93. The community's TFR had dwindled by 46.5% compared to Hindus (41.2%). As per the census, the Muslim population has dropped by 4.7% compared to Hindus (3.1%).
Mr. Vijayan said the RSS had attempted to reframe citizenship based on religion. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was an example.
