Guwahati, Aug 23 : The number of Assamese-speaking people in seven districts of the Brahmaputra Valley has registered a decline while that of the Bengali-speaking population has increased over a 10-year period from 1991 to 2001.
The 2001 Census data on the district and tehsil-wise language break-up stated that the population of Assamese speakers has declined in Barpeta, Darrang, Sonitpur, Morigaon, Bongaigaon, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts.
Meanwhile, official sources said the decline had also been registered in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts, considered as relatively free from Bangladeshi infiltration.
Barpeta, Darrang, Sonitpur and Morigaon districts have a sizeable population of immigrant settlers, including indigenous Bengali-speaking Muslims from East Bengal, who had settled in Assam during pre-Partition days, and those who migrated from the erstwhile East Pakistan. Most of them mentioned Assamese as their mother tongue during successive Censuses.
Meanwhile, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) stated that these figures had only strengthened their long standing viewpoint that infiltration had been continuing unabated in the state.
In the three districts of the Barak valley - Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi - the Assamese population is much lesser than Bengali and Hindi speakers.
Interestingly, in Barpeta district, the number of Assamese speakers in 2001 was 7,74,229, down from 8,68,199, recorded during the 1991 Census. The number of Bengali speakers increased to 7,35,845 from 3,95,063.
The 2001 Census data on the district and tehsil-wise language break-up stated that the population of Assamese speakers has declined in Barpeta, Darrang, Sonitpur, Morigaon, Bongaigaon, Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts.
Meanwhile, official sources said the decline had also been registered in Lakhimpur and Dhemaji districts, considered as relatively free from Bangladeshi infiltration.
Barpeta, Darrang, Sonitpur and Morigaon districts have a sizeable population of immigrant settlers, including indigenous Bengali-speaking Muslims from East Bengal, who had settled in Assam during pre-Partition days, and those who migrated from the erstwhile East Pakistan. Most of them mentioned Assamese as their mother tongue during successive Censuses.
Meanwhile, the All Assam Students Union (AASU) stated that these figures had only strengthened their long standing viewpoint that infiltration had been continuing unabated in the state.
In the three districts of the Barak valley - Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi - the Assamese population is much lesser than Bengali and Hindi speakers.
Interestingly, in Barpeta district, the number of Assamese speakers in 2001 was 7,74,229, down from 8,68,199, recorded during the 1991 Census. The number of Bengali speakers increased to 7,35,845 from 3,95,063.
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