Manthan Samvaad addresses myths on population growth, majoritarianism, culture and cinema

Manthan Samvaad 12th edition featured insightful discussions on Muslim population growth, majoritarianism, Constitution, Dakhni language, and women's citizenship.

The 12th edition of Manthan Samvaad on Wednesday, at Shilpakala Vedika was a sparkling affair with a distinguished panel of speakers bouncing ideas and sharing concerns, as a packed auditorium of over 1,000 attendees listened in. The day-long event had the first session by former Chief Election Commissioner of India S.Y. Quraishi, focusing on Muslim population growth and its associated misconceptions.

In his hour-long presentation titled ‘Myth about Muslim Population Growth in India’, Mr. Quraishi tackled several widely held but inaccurate beliefs about the Muslim population in the country. “There are several myths being propagated about the Muslim population, leading to unnecessary fear and hostility,” he said. 

One of these myths, he explained, is the assumption that Muslims are responsible for India’s overall population growth due to higher birth rates. Citing statistics, Mr. Quraishi pointed out that while Muslim families have lower levels of family planning — only 47% — and a higher Total Fertility Rate (TFR) of 2.3, Hindus are not far behind. “Hindus have a family planning rate of 58% and a TFR of 2.0, which is the second highest among communities,” he noted, debunking the notion that Muslims alone are driving the population growth.

Mr. Quraishi also addressed another common myth: that Muslims are part of an organised conspiracy to outnumber Hindus and capture political power. He refuted this claim, citing a mathematical model developed by Professor Dinesh Singh, former Vice-Chancellor of Delhi University, which demonstrates that such a scenario is mathematically impossible. “No Muslim leader or scholar has ever advocated producing more children to gain political dominance,” he said.

The issue of polygamy was another topic Mr. Quraishi addressed. Contrary to popular belief, a government study from 1975 revealed that all religious communities in India practised polygamy to some extent, with Muslims being the least polygamous. “Polygamy is not a strategy for population growth,” he highlighted.

The former Chief Election Commissioner concluded his talk by clarifying that fertility rates in India are driven by socio-economic factors such as literacy, income, and access to family planning services, rather than religious beliefs. “It’s not a Hindu-Muslim issue. Fertility rates vary significantly across States, with Kerala having the lowest TFR of 1.56 and Bihar the highest at 3.41,” Mr. Quraishi added.

The second session featured a talk by Thiruvallur Lok Sabha MP Sasikanth Senthil on ‘Countering Majoritarianism - The Way Forward’. “Majoritarianism is a threat to everyone, not just the minority. India is the biggest fake majoritarian country because, in true majoritarianism, the majority benefits while the minority suffers. In India, even the majority is getting a bad deal,” he remarked.