Christian population has come down from 36% to 25% while Muslims’ has risen from 3% to 12%: Goa governor

KOCHI: Goa governor P S Sreedharan Pillai has stoked a controversy with remarks on the decline of Christian population in the coastal state.

Pillai said at an event in Ernakulam on Saturday that when he met a senior clergyman, he asked why Christian population in Goa had come down to 25% from 36%. He also said that at the same time, the numbers of those who follow Islam rose from 3% to 12%. He mentioned that he told a senior clergy to carry out a study on the matter.

Pillai clarified his statement at another event on Sunday, saying that he was not speaking about any religion based on population ratio. He said he was only pointing out that at the time of Goa's liberation, there were close to 35% Christians in the state. He added that he read an article that this has come down to 26% and could be even lower.

"People there come to meet me, religious leaders like bishops. So, I told them about this. Another religion, it is said, grew to 10-12%... so what exactly is the truth and why it happened? One reason I see is brain drain," he said.