BIRTH CONTROL
A Sheath to Cross a Barrier
The Muslim community in Assam is slowly warming up to family planning methods
by Abdul Gani in Guwahati
Ilias Ali knows it takes a long time to change the attitude of people deeply rooted in religious dogma and age-old beliefs . But he didn ’ t give up . Not even when his family received death threats from radical Muslims in Assam who were against his efforts to popularise family planning among the community . That was in 2009 . During a public programme at a health centre in Hojai , students of a madarsa staged a protest march and tried to interrupt the event . Last month , Ali — a former professor of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital — addressed an estimated 1,800 students and teachers at another madarsa in the same town in central Assam . The response this time was overwhelming ; the enthusiasm of the students and teachers signaled a paradigm shift in the mindset of the community .
Muslims constitute nearly 35 per cent of Assam ’ s 33 million people and the high birth rate among the community is a major source of friction over the state ’ s most volatile issue — undocumented immigrants , especially those from neighbouring Bangladesh . The high growth rate of the Muslim population is often cited as “ proof ” of a demographic invasion , which nationalist organisations say is threatening the identity of the state ’ s indigenous people . The ongoing exercise to update the 1951 National Register of Citizens ( NRC ) is aimed at identifying the Indian citizens and the foreigners staying illegally .
Ali , 63 , says the response at the Jamia Islamia Jalalia Madrassa is a “ positive change ”. “ It was a pleasure to see around
1,800 students and about 70 teachers listening to me . I got positive feedback from them after my speech ,” Ali says . He spoke about issues related to the environment , climate change , pollution and population control with special reference to the Quran . “ I tried to make them understand how these things are inter-related . And these things are mentioned in the holy book .”
For the students , it was a new experience . “ It was an eye-opener for us . I got to know so many things about science and the system . I think regular sessions would help us understand the issues better ,” says Bulbul Hussain , 18 .
Maulana Mohammad Aziruddin , secretary of the madarsa , says they have always given importance to modern education . “ We at the madarsa believe that only education can help society grow . We can fight superstitions in our society only with proper education ,” Aziruddin says . Girls are not allowed in this madarsa , but Aziruddin believes that getting them educated is the only way to stop social evils such as child marriage , which is rampant among a section of Muslims . “ Even birth control , we can solve it by providing education to our girls ,” he adds .
Assam has more than 600 madarsas recognised and regulated by the state government . Besides , there are also 2,000-odd private madarsas , of which
Contraceptives are a taboo for many Muslims in Assam , where they are 35 per cent of the population . Attitudes are changing , though
LIFE LESSONS Teaching science , contraceptions at an Assam madarsa
about 900 follow the conservative ideology and education model of the Darul Uloom in Deoband , UP . And despite the winds of change , resistance to modern family planning methods remains . Maulana Fazlul Karim Qasimi , secretary of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind ’ s Assam unit , says Islam doesn ’ t give much importance to science and technology but it is not against science . He insists that birth control and family planning are different issues . “ Yes , it ’ s important but we don ’ t support the means of birth control with the help of technology by forcing it on individuals . We can ’ t support methods like operation or abortion . By behaving carefully , one can do the needful ,” Qasimi says .
In 2010 , an Islamic organisation issued a fatwa barring religious rites after death to more than 300 people who were sterilised in Dhubri district . In another incident in Barpeta the same year , many people who underwent vasectomy faced social boycott and were barred from prayers in mosques . There have been marches against family planning programmes and assaults on health workers . Last year , the state assembly passed a resolution that barred people with more than two children from government jobs . Critics of the BJP-led government accuse it of targeting the Muslims . Others say , it is an effective population control measure .
In a state where numbers matter , many Muslims see education as the best tool to combat the menace . “ I have also started reading the Quran to counter some clerics who used to oppose my move ,” Ilias Ali says . O
26 Outlook 17 September 2018