CENSUS OF INDIA 1991 SERIES-l WEST BENGAL PART IV-B(ii) RELIGION Directorate of Census Operati~ns _West Bengal CONTENTS Page (V) Preface . (vii) Acknowledgement • • • • (ix) Introductory Note . • Note of Religion Table (xiv) Appendices Appendix A _ Details of Religions shown under 'other religions and persuaslons' in main religion table C-9 having population strength of 100 and above at the State level Appendix B Total of other religions and persuasions in main religion table C-9, the strength of each of which is less than 100 at the State level. Annexure Details of Sects/beliefs/religions clubbed with another religion which is shown at the head of the table. PREFACE This paper is a part of 1991 Census publication and contains information about one of the most important and basic cultural characteristics of the population of a State. In 1991 Census religion data comprising distribution of population by religion and sex and ruralj urban separately for the State and the districts have been presented in respect of six major religious communities namely Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and 'other religions and persuasions' as well as "religion not stated". " The vast informations collected from every individual in response to question 8 of Individual Slips-and question 9 of Household Schedules have been manually shifted and tabulated in the Regionl Tabulation Offices Whereas finalisation of C-9 in all respects have been done at the Centre;!.l Tabulation Unit in this Directorale under the able guidence of Shri Swapan Guha, Investigator and his team of dedicated staff. In bringing out this paper we are grateful to Shri A.R. Nanda, Registrar General, India under whose guidence,the work started whereas completed under the guidence and direction of Dr. M. Vijayanunni, the present Registrar General, India. We are also indebted to Dr. M.K. Jain, Dy. Registrar General (Social Studies) and Shri S.P. Sharma, Dy. Registrar General (Census and Tabulation)for their valuable advice and guidence. Our thanks are ,also due to Shfi A.K. Singh Dy. Director, of Census Operations an<;l other technical staff .of the Census Division 'of the Office of the Registrar General, India. In our office thanks are due to Shri Pratap-Singh, Investigator, Smt. Oita Chatterjee, Investigator, Smt. Anjali Das, SA, Smt. Sucheta Dutta, SA, Smt. Mira Banerjee, Computer, Smt. Kalpana Chowdhury, Computet, Sri- Manas Mitra, Computer and Shri Dilip Kr. Chatterj ee, Typist for their hard labour and devotion in finalisation of C-9 table and preparation of the volume. My special thanks are due to Shri Swapan Guha, Investigator who did his best under trying condition to see the project is completed in time. I am also thankful to Shri JIimangshu Saha Chowdhury, Printi ng Inspector and Shri Prashanta Kr. Burman, Proof Reader who have pressedited / the manuscripts: The Credit for the successful operation goes to Shri H. Chakravarty, Director of Census Operations, West Bengal. Also the contribution made by Shri S. Sinha, Jt. Director, is acknowledged. Weare grateful to them. - I also record my appredation 6f the service rendered by Shri Dilip Kr. ,Banerjee, Stenographer who has very neatly typed out the manuscripts. But for the efforts of all the members of staff attached to this work this could not have been completed in time. We believe this publication will be of some help to the scholars, planners, administrators and other data users. A.K. Dotta Calcutta Deputy Director November, 1995. Census Operations, West Bengal 1 CENSUS/96-2 VII ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I. Shri Swapan Kr. Guha, Investigator 2. Shri Pratap Singh, Investigator 3. Smt. Gita Chatterjee, Investigator 4. Smt. Anjali Das, Statistical Assistant 5. Smt. ~ucheta Dutta, Statistical Assistant 6. Smt. Mira Banerjee, Computer 7: Smt. Kalpana Chowdhury, Computer i. Shri Manas Mitra, Computer 9. Shri Dilip Kr. Chatterjee, Typist (,Grade~I) 10. Shri Himangshu Saha Chowdhury, Printing Inspector 11. Shri Prashanta Kr. Burman, Proof Reader 12. Shri Dilip Banerjee, Jr. Stenographer INTRODUCTORY NOTE One of the most important cultural statistics of the population is religion. India is a secular State though. Nevertheless there are many religion persuasions that have qeen recorded in every decannial Census. The information on religion have been sifted and presented in a separate publication. T4ese data have been found to be very useful to the scholars, administrators and researchers. During the period of enumeration, the respondents have giVen various answers to the ql!estion No.8 on religion in the Individual Slip. A census enumerator was under instruction to record the religion as returned by a respondent. In 1991 Census both in the Individual Slips and Household Schedules th€! information was collected fronievery person in the Individual Slips and from all members of the households respectively. In recording information on religion in response to questioh B of Indivi­ dual Slip and Question 9 of Household Schedule, the following abbreviations were used for the major religions of the country_ H fot Hindus M for Muslims C for Christians S for Sikhs B for Buddhists J for Jains The enumerator was also told to record· whatever religion fully whieh might have been reported by the individual without editing. Instructions were .also given to the enumera­ tor to record "no religion" if the respondents said that he did not have any religion. Likewise, if a person refused to state his religion the enumerator had instructions to write 'religion not stated' against the question No.8 in Individual Slips' and. ques.tion 9 in the Household Schedule. A StIfYlmary I The following are the main religions communities in the state as a whole. These are arranged in order of Rumerical strangth at the stat'e level. - Religious Persons Males Females Sex ratio communities (Females per 1,000 males) Hindus 50,866,624 26,511,395 24,295,229 914 Muslims 16,075,836 8,360,835 7,715,001 923 Christians- 383,477 193,347 190,130 983 Sikhs 55,392 31,092 24,300 182 Buddhists 203,578 '104.072 99,506 956 Jains 34.355 18,326 16,029 875 x The percentage of the population accounted for by each of the six major \eligious commu­ nities, viz. Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists and 'Jains according to 1991 census are given below at the State Level. Religious Communities Percentage to' total Percentage decadel Population growth rate 1981-91 HIndus 74.72 ,21.09 Muslims 23.'61 '36.89 Christians 0.56. 19.96 Sikhs 0.08 12.92 Buddhists 0.30 30.25 I Jains 0.05 (t__)I1.14 The pattern of distribution of population of the six major religious communities between rural and urban areas is as follows ~ , Religious Rural Percentage Urban Percentage communities population to total rural populatipn to total urban popUlation • popUlation Hindus 34,92.6,805 70.74 15,939,819 85.21 Muslims 13,545,929 27.44 2,529,901 13.52 Christians 287,506 0.58 95,971 0.51 Sikhs 5,024 0.01 50,368 0.27 Buddhists 150,783 0.31 52,795 0.28 { ( .' ( 1 Jains 5,223 0.01 29.132 0.16 XI K.eeping in view the convenience of th~ readers, religionwise distributions of total pulation at the State and District level are given in the Statement 1 . .1t may be mentioned that 1981 religion data were based on religion of the Head of the household as recorded in the Household schedules of 1981 Census. On the contrary this time, the religion data are based on individal returns as recorded in the Household Schedule of the 1991 Census. Statement-2 presents the growth (percentage increase -only) of the six major religious communities. 'other religion and persuasion' and 'religion not stated' during 1981 - 1991. Statement.. 3' provides information in respect of percentage distribution of total popula­ tion into sixm'ajor religion, 'other religion and persuasions' and 'religion not stated' in the census of 1981 and 1991. While preparing the above three statements, the data of 1981 in this connection have been readjusted in respect of the districts of Calcutta",Noith Twenty Four Parganas and South Twenty Four Parganas. Consequent on the transfer of three municipalities namely south SubUrban, Jadavpur and Garden Reach from the erstwhile district of Twenty Four parganas to Calcutta and bifurcation of Twenty Four Parganas district into North Twenty Four Parganas and South Twenty FoUl Parganas in 1991 Census sans the above municipalities. The religionwise population shown in 1981, 'other religions and persuasions' and religion not stated' in respect of three municipalities mentioned above have been taken from the erstwhile Twenty Four Parganas and added to the Calcutta district in order to make the data in comparable with the 1991 Census. Likewise, the rest of the erstwhile district of Twenty­ Four Pacganas have been distributed between North Twenty Four Parganas and South Twenty Four Parganas as per the area adjustments as follows ~ 32 Police Stations covering the entire Bangaon Subdivision, Barasat Subdivision, Barrack­ pur Subdivision and Basirhat Subdivision (excluding Gosaba Police station) formed the NorthTwenty Four Parganas district while the 33 Police Stations covering the Sadar Subdivision, Diamond Harbour Subdivision and Gosaba Police Station in Basirhat Sub­ division of the erstwhile Twenty Four Parganas, District Constituted the South Twenty Four Parganas District. XII C.9 Religion Note on Religion Table J This table corresponds to table C - VII Religion of 1961 and 1971 and Table HH-15 of 1981. The only difference is that the figures for religion for 1961, 1971 and 1991 are· based on the religion of the individual whereas the figures presented in 1981 were based on religion of heads .0J all the hOlfseholds excluding the institutional households.