Beyond the FYP
What does Census data show about India’s eastern border districts?
National Security & Challenges English

What does Census data show about India’s eastern border districts?

TL;DR

Border districts show contiguous Hindu decline and Muslim rise (1991–2011), raising concerns about illegal migration, land encroachment, communal violence, vote-bank politics, and national security.

17 Apr 2026
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Introductory Memo Analytical View News at Glance By The Numbers Academic Insight Social Media Pulse On Our Reading List
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Introductory Memo

In Dhubri, a district along the India-Bangladesh border in Assam, the share of the Hindu population declined by nearly 9% points between 1991 and 2011. During the same period, the share of the Muslim population increased by a similar margin. But is Dhubri the only case? Similar changes appear across several districts that lie along India’s eastern border. What do these changes indicate?

(Vayuveg has collected Census data from 1991, 2001, and 2011 and examined together to see how the eastern border districts show a drastic demographic shift over two decades. This analysis focuses only on border districts in Assam, West Bengal, and Tripura, and tracks how the share of different religious communities has changed over time).

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