Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on May 26 welcomed the Centre’s decision to constitute a high-level committee to study demographic changes across the country, saying Assam has long been witnessing demographic shifts and describing the initiative as crucial for national security and protection of indigenous communities.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah earlier announced the formation of a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Prakash Prabhakar Naolekar to assess demographic changes across India arising from “illegal immigration and other unnatural causes”.

Reacting to the development, Sarma said illegal infiltration and demographic change were not issues confined to a single state but challenges linked to national security, cultural identity and social balance.

“Illegal infiltration and unusual demographic change are not merely the concern of any single state but a serious issue linked to India’s national security, cultural identity and social balance,” Sarma said in a post on X.

Describing the committee as a “visionary and decisive step”, the chief minister said the panel would study demographic shifts occurring across the country and recommend measures to address them.

“Under the proactive leadership of Amit Shah ji, this committee will study the unusual demographic changes occurring across the country and present concrete solutions. This will further strengthen national security and enable serious addressing of the concerns of border areas,” Sarma said.

The Assam chief minister said the issue has been a long-standing concern for Assam and asserted that the initiative would play an important role in protecting cultural heritage, tribal communities and indigenous rights.

“This initiative will prove extremely important for protecting our cultural heritage, tribal society and the rights of indigenous people. We are confident that this committee will play a significant role in securing India’s future,” he said.

Announcing the panel, Shah said infiltration and other factors were contributing to “unnatural” demographic changes that could pose long-term challenges for the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had earlier spoken about demographic changes during his Independence Day address last year, stating that illegal infiltration and shifts in border region demography could create national security concerns.