“Hard facts needed first,” Tharoor cautions govt against arbitrary evaluation of demographic change

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has welcomed the Centre’s announcement about the formation of the ‘High-Level Committee on Demographic Change’ to tackle challenges like infiltration that pose unnatural demographic change in the country, however, he cautioned the government against pushing it without adequate facts and figures in hand, regarding “unnatural population shifts”.

He said that the country must have correct facts and figures about the demographic factors.

This came as Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday announced the formation of the ‘High-Level Committee on Demographic Change’ to evaluate unnatural population shifts across India caused by infiltration and other factors.

Speaking to IANS during a book launch event in New Delhi, Tharoor said, “That’s a very important development; there are lots of things happening. There are changes of various kinds, and I think it’s important that before we have a serious conversation about the political implications, we should understand the numbers we’re dealing with. Otherwise, people can misuse data, especially if it’s incomplete, by needlessly creating political controversies.

“It’s important that we have data, so I’m supporting any idea that will give us facts and figures that are accurate, that are comprehensive, showing all the demographic factors, the trends and so on. We have a national census also happening. I think between the two of them, we should have a more accurate picture of what the reality is in our country,” the Congress MP added.

In a post on X on Tuesday, Shah said, “Infiltration and other reasons causing Unnatural Demographic Change pose a very significant challenge to the present and future of any nation.”

“To address this very challenge, on 15 August 2025, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the ‘High-Level Committee on Demographic Change’. I am delighted to inform you that the government has now constituted this committee,” he said.

The Home Minister mentioned that this committee will be chaired by Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar (Retd) and include the Census Commissioner along with Durga Shankar Mishra (Retd IAS), Balaji Srivastava (Retd IPS), and Dr Shamika Ravi as members.

The Joint Secretary (Foreigners-I) for the Ministry of Home Affairs will serve as the Member Secretary of this committee, Shah added.

He further stated that demographic change is a serious issue linked not only to the sovereignty of the country but also to national security, law and order, profound changes in social structure, and the preservation of tribal society.

“This committee will conduct a comprehensive assessment of demographic changes occurring across India due to illegal immigration and other unnatural causes, analyse patterns of abnormal population shifts at the levels of religious and social communities, and present a planned and time-bound solution for the same,” Shah added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced this committee on August 15, 2025, during his Independence Day address at the Red Fort.

IANS