India might soon become Pakistan II or Bangladesh II

Testing times continue for Hinduism, with the religious demography data released in September 2004, based on 2001 census. There are unearthly things happening in the country which are slowly ensuring that Hindus get reduced in numbers , and thereby reduce them to the minority in numbers, if not able to wipe out. On the status front anyway, the Hindus are already being meted out a treatment that is due to the minority community.

Its a common misconception that all religions are the same - Hinduism and Buddhism do not believe in head count. But Islam and Christianity beleive in head count - however violent the means be, the ends have to be achieved. Both Bible and Quran talk about one Muslim World ("Umma") and one unified Christin World (which is when Christ will resurrect and bless all the Christians with Deliverance). On the other hand, Hinduism does not believe in conversion and spreading the religion, but believes in only upliftment of the soul.

Also, there is no bondage between Hindus for the simple reason that there are different gods and different beliefs which keep them seperated. Unlike Islam and Christianity which have one God and one Holy Book.

Now to the more shocking brasstacks. As of 2001, the Muslim population in India has zoomed to 13.4 % (1961 - 10.7%) of the total country's population while Hindu numbers have slid down to 80.5 % (1961 - 83.4%). Not just that, Muslims in India are now growing at a rate of 36 % (1971 - 30.8%) while the Hindu population is growing at a mere rate of 20.3 % (1971 - 23.7%).

Also, the percentage of Muslim children below the age of 6 stands at a higher number of 18.7 % (as a % of total children below 6). Which is alarming, as it is higher than the total muslim population of 13.4 %.

Alarming. Which means in a couple of decades, India might even become the extended arm of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Sounds ridiculous? But thats the irony and sad reality. Muslims and Christians will no more remain minorities, at the rate at which they are expanding the progeny. In a country where the power hungry politicians are doling out excessive freebies and rolling out a red carpet even when minorities remain as minorities, it is unimaginable what would happen when they match the majority in numbers.

While in the previous decades there was a marked ncrease of Muslim population in the border districts of Assam, Bihar, West Bengal and UP (thanks to the Bangaladesh refugee crisis), now the trend is that the Muslim population is increasing in the interior too, especially in states like Punjab and Haryana . Hyderabad district now has close to 41 % Muslim population. Not just Muslim population, Christians too show a dramatic increase in certain well defined pockets & districts of the country.

Whenever there has been an increase in the Muslim or the Christian population, Indian districts have been bi-furcated to create Muslim or Christian concentrations - Gajapati was carved out of Ganjam district (Orissa) , Akola was split and Dakshin Kannada district (Karnataka) was created from Udipi.

Infiltration of Muslims from Bangladesh to the eastern states of India with the support of Pakistan's ISI has titled the balance of Hindu population in the east. Not just that, instability and violence in North East has been mainly due to the Christian terrorists which are propogating conversion and secession from India.

Scary.

Globally, wherever there has been an imbalance in religious demography (primarily between Christian and Muslim populations) , there has been only blood shed - Algeria, Bosnia, Lebanon, East Timor, malukku, Irian Jaya. Also , almost every nation state like Croatia, East Timor, Slovakia, Slovenia which have been created in the 20th and 21st centuries has been a Muslim or a Christian state - created only on the basis of religious demography

So what then is the solution ?
1. Prevent infiltration in east and north east and stop looking it as a human issue. Its more of a national security issue
2. Provide economic packages and upliftment, thereby preventing the migration of Hindus to other parts of the country . Especially invite IT companies to set up shop as they are a great economic and political leveler.
3. Ban religious conversions.
4. Implement Uniform Civil Code in the country

The last point, though, is equivalent to "belling the cat". But then it will happen one day , as there is always a point of inflection to the Hindu patience.

Guess these will go a major way in resolving the religious demography imbalance before it snowballs and becomes secessionist in nature.

Also check out the following sites for more knowledge on Hinduism. http://religiousmovements.lib.virginia.edu/nrms/hinduism.html