Two-child policy stirs hornet's nest in Assam

 The Assam government's recent announcement on two-child policy seems to have stirred a hornet's nest in Assam as Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Tuesday said the policy will be implemented for sure and that there is no question of any compromise.

The Assam cabinet recently decided to reserve government jobs in the state for those who adhere to two-child policy -- a part of state's new population policy which will bar couples from having more than two children.

Chief of Assam's prominent opposition party, the All India United Democratic Front, and Lok Sabha MP from Dhubri, Badaruddin Ajmal while reacting to the decision, said Islam does not permit two-child norm.

The Congress had also opposed the two-child policy and said that nobody can impose it in a democracy.

"The two-child policy will be implemented and there is no question of any compromise," Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said while speaking at a function on Tuesday.

State Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while supporting the policy accused Ajmal of provoking the Muslims.

"Ajmal's comment is in bad taste. He is in a way provoking Muslims to have more children and continue to live in the cycle of poverty," the minister said while addressing a rally in Tripura on Tuesday.

"Ajmal wants to keep Muslims poor. He indirectly wants that these people must have more children and demographically affect our land. We have taken strong exception to Ajmal's comment," said Sarma.

Ajmal, a perfume baron and alumnus of Darul Uloom Deoband, said: "We all know that Muslims are the deprived lot under the BJP government. Their prospect for government job is already bleak under the BJP rule. So, why should they follow the two-child norm? Our religion does not have such a norm."IANS