Guwahati, Aug. 31 -- Amid ongoing eviction drives targeting illegal settlers across Assam, and with Union Home Minister Amit Shah reiterating his promise to make Assam and the rest of the country free from infiltrators, the issue of demographic change in the state has emerged as a major concern.

Over the past five decades, Assam's demographic landscape has shifted significantly. Census data shows a steady rise in the Muslim population and a relative decline in the Hindu population.

The 2011 Census identified 11 Muslim-majority districts: Dhubri, Barpeta, Darrang, Goalpara, Hailakandi, Karimganj, Morigaon, Nagaon, Bongaigaon, South Salmara-Mankachar, and Hojai.

In Dhubri, Muslims form nearly 80 percent of the population; in Barpeta, the...