Union Minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday expressed serious concern over the nose-diving Hindu population in the country, terming it an alarming trend.
While talking to the press, Minister Joshi said that the state and central governments must do something earnestly to check this decline.
He said the reasons for the continuously decreasing Hindu population in the country must be examined seriously.
“If the number of Hindus decline then over a period of time the democratic system itself will change. Bharat is the only secular country in the world. It is a secular state in true spirit. Secularism is in the blood of Indians and it is also ingrained in their character. It is going to be affected in future,” Joshi said.
India has a great tradition of accepting diversity and providing people the freedom to practice diverse religions and culture. Minister Joshi said that this heritage must be preserved for posterity.
“Though the nation is predominantly Hindu country, it has sheltered people of all religions. As the population of Hindus is on the decline it is a matter of utmost concern and the society and governments must contemplate over it,” he said.
Quoting a study titled 'Share of Religious Minorities – A Cross-Country Analysis, which was conducted by a three-member committee, Minister Joshi said that from 1950 to 2015, Hindu population fell from 85 percent to 78 percent while the Muslim population increased from 10 percent to 14 percent.
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