Home » Karnataka » Report On Shrinking Hindu Population Scary Says Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

Report on ‘shrinking’ Hindu population scary, says Union Minister Pralhad Joshi

He said the report was scary and when asked about the reasons, Joshi said it was difficult to say what the reasons are.

Published May 10, 2024 | 8:43 PM ⚊UpdatedMay 10, 2024 | 8:43 PM

Pralhad Joshi. (Supplied)

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday, 10 May, said the report titled ‘Share of religious minorities: A cross-country analysis’ presents a “scary” picture and that society and governments must take it seriously.

Stating that he has not received the report, he said he has only read about it in the media.

“A report has come regarding demographic change. Society and government should take it seriously. This is the only expectation because it has figured prominently in all the media, be it newspapers or news channels,” Joshi told reporters in Hubballi in Karnataka.

“This report is scary. Governments must take this report seriously and think about alternative measures,” Joshi said.

Also Read: Attempt to push biased narrative: EC over Kharge’s letter on voter turnout data

‘Difficult to say reasons’

When asked about the reasons, Joshi said it was difficult to say what the reasons are.

“There is a need to do a complete study,” he said.

The share of Hindus in the total population of the country has decreased by 7.82 percent between 1950 and 2015, while that of Muslims increased by 43.15 percent, suggesting that there is a conducive environment to foster diversity, said a recent working paper by the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM).

It, however, did not give absolute numbers. The last census in the country was done in 2011, and the one due in 2021 has not been conducted. It was also not clear how the EAC-PM arrived at the 2015 numbers.

The paper titled ‘Share of Religious Minorities: A Cross-Country Analysis (1950-2015)’ further said the share of Jains in the population of India decreased from 0.45 percent in 1950 to 0.36 percent in 2015.

(Disclaimer: The headline, subheads, and intro of this report along with the photos may have been reworked by South First. The rest of the content is from a syndicated feed, and has been edited for style.)