5 hrs ago
Pinarayi Vijayan Calls Demography Panel Questionnaire Divisive Agenda
A central government committee asked states and Union Territories for information about changes in religious populations.
It wants information from districts, industrial areas and border districts covering the past 15 years.
Pinarayi Vijayan criticized this request.
He said collecting information by religion could make people suspicious of one another.
He also said it could be used to spread hatred against minorities.
Vijayan connected the questionnaire to the RSS and the Sangh Parivar.
He warned that it might support arguments for policies such as the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens.
He asked Kerala’s government and secular-minded people to oppose the move.
The High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes sought data from states and Union Territories on visible religious-demographic changes over the past 15 years.
The committee asked about districts, industrial clusters and border districts, according to the report.
Pinarayi Vijayan alleged that the questionnaire advances the Sangh Parivar’s divisive agenda and could encourage suspicion of minorities.
He claimed the panel seeks religion-based information involving births, vehicle registrations, school admissions and land transactions.
Vijayan urged Kerala’s UDF government to resist directives he said violate constitutional and secular values.
- Who
- The High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes, states and Union Territories, and Pinarayi Vijayan.
- What
- The committee requested religion-related demographic information, while Vijayan condemned the questionnaire as divisive and politically motivated.
- Where
- Across states and Union Territories, including districts, industrial clusters, border districts and metro cities.
- When
- The report was dated October 1; the committee requested data covering the previous 15 years.
- Why
- The committee sought information on demographic changes; Vijayan alleged it was intended to support communal polarization and discriminatory policies.
Key facts
- Committee
- High-Level Committee on Demographic Changes
- Administrative body
- Union Home Ministry
- Requested period
- The past 15 years
- Requested areas
- Districts, industrial clusters and border districts
- Data cited by Vijayan
- Births, vehicle registrations, school admissions and land transactions
- Political response
- Pinarayi Vijayan called the questionnaire a continuation of the Sangh Parivar’s divisive agenda
- Policies mentioned
- The Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens
Quotes
Pinarayi Vijayan
CPI(M) leader, former Kerala chief minister and state Leader of Opposition
“This is a malicious attempt to divide the people, alienate minorities and destroy the secular nature of the country. The information collected through such questionnaires is likely to be used as a weapon for hate politics”
theprint.in
“The Sangh Parivar is using this deliberately created apprehension as a basis for imposing and justifying discriminatory policies like the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens”
theprint.in
Sources
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