• Census 2001 disclosed that the decadal growth rate of Muslims was around 36 percent, while the same for the Hindus was 20 percent, a decline from 23 percent.

• Statement 7 of Census 2001 Religion Data Report (page Xlii), which gives the religion-wise breakup of children in the 0-6 years age group, shows that even though the Muslims constitute only 13.4 percent of India’s population, the percentage of Muslim cohorts (term commonly used in demographic parlance) is 21 percent higher than Hindu cohorts.

 

This is in line with the demographic trend in world population:

 

a)   In the year 1900, the Muslims constituted only 12 percent of the world population; they grew to 18 percent in 1993 (when Huntington published his first thesis on the clash of civilization); by 2004 the Muslims formed 20 percent of global population. And by 2025, barely 20 years away from now, they will constitute 30 percent of world population.[Source: Spangler, The Decline of the West, cited by Samuel Huntington].

 

b)   All over world, except Muslim countries, fertility levels have sharply declined by more than half since 1972 – from 6 children per woman in 1972 to 2.9 in 1990s.  According to the United Nations Population Report of 2002, Europe’s fertility rates are now far below the replacement level of 2.1.

 

c)  Muslim countries, however, are striking exceptions to the global trend of declining population. In Europe, Albania and Kosovo are growing fast, and so are Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, Pakistan and Afghanistan in Asia.

 

In the light of the above, our group humbly crave your indulgence to ponder over the ‘demographic decimation’ looming large before all of us to help come to some line of appropriate action to save the integrity and security of the nation.