Former Kerala Police chief TP Senkumar has said that the rise in child birthrates among Muslims will change the demography of the state. “The Muslim community accounts for 42% of the childbirths in Kerala these days,” he said in the interview with Samakalika Malayalam Varika on Saturday. “Remember, the Muslim population is just 27%, in the state. This will change Kerala’s demography.”
He pointed out that the birth rate among Hindus, who constitute 54% of the population, is below 48%, while that among Christians, who form 19.5% of the population, is 15%. Senkumar reasoned that population of the Christian community has not dropped despite registering a lower birthrate. “For they are resorting to conversion,” he said.
He made the statement barely a week after his retirement from the state police chief’s post.
‘No comparison between IS and RSS’
Senkumar said the Muslim community should take measures to control religious extremism.
“When we talk about the Islamic State, many Muslims will ask about the existence of RSS,” he said. “You must understand that RSS cannot be compared to IS. I am talking about the religious extremism that goes against national spirit.”
The former police chief said the Kerala Police had launched a de-radicalisation programme among Muslims by recruiting 512 persons from the community. “Radicalisation can be controlled with the help of good people from the Muslim community. I think there are good Muslims in the state.”
Senkumar also praised writer Hameed Chennamangaloor as the only Muslim in the state who was “truly secular”. “Writer MN Karasseri, too, was good. But his presence is not felt these days.”
“Muslims should ask themselves – where on earth could they live peacefully as in Kerala?” he said
Love jihad
Senkumar said Muslims should desist from practicing ‘love jihad’. He also tried to give credence to allegations that Muslim men have been converting girls from other religions to Islam by feigning love. “A lot of people have been practicing ‘love jihad’. If conversion happens only for love, it should be even among all religions. But why does the number go up only in Muslim community?”
Senkumar was the Kerala Police chief when the Congress-led United Democratic Front was in power in the state. He was shunted out two days after the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front formed government.
However, the Supreme Court had directed the state government to reinstate the senior police officer on April 24. He took charge on May 6. He retired from service on June 30.
His opinions have triggered a controversy, and several on social media have taken strong objections to them. Many predicted that he would join the Bharatiya Janata Party soon.
Reputed film director, Ashiq Abu, quoted Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to denounce Senkumar. In his Facebook post, Abu said Vijayan had hinted at Senkumar’s political ambitions months ago. “He is not on your side. He is with some others,” the chief minister had told UDF members when they had created a ruckus in the state Assembly demanding Senkumar’s reinstatement.
The BJP has been wooing him ever since his retirement. In a Facebook post, the party’s state secretary K Surendran requested him to follow the footsteps of IPS officers Kiran Bedi and Satyapal Singh, who joined BJP after retirement.