Ever since the Citizenship Amendment Bill was tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Union Home Minister, Amit Shah, rumours have been flying thick and fast about the historic legislation. Though the legislation is a well-intended measure to assuage the wounds of those still suffering from the historical blunder of partition and to afford protection to the persecuted minorities of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, it is being painted as some sort of a repressive, anti-minority legislation.
Throughout the Northeast, it is being wrongly speculated that the indigenous culture of the Northeastern states including Assam would be under threat. Apart from this, it is being rumoured that as per the new legislation all communities are going to get entitled to automatic citizenship except the Muslim community.
However, an MHA official has now given a clarification which dispels such myths. The senior MHA official has said that the minority religious communities won’t automatically get citizenship, rather they will have to apply for citizenship and they will have to follow necessary qualifications. He has also clarified that the Amendment will not affect the nationality of any Indian citizen. Moreover, no foreigner of any religious community would be targeted by virtue of this Amendment.
The senior official also said that that the refugees from the concerned communities who want Indian citizenship will have to apply for it, and the concerned officials will decide upon such application. He also made it clear that the Amendment won’t affect the existing provisions relating to citizenship and therefore foreigners can still apply for citizenship in a similar manner. The Amendment does not take away their rights as they existed immediately before the legislation came into existence.
Busting these myths, the Home Ministry has also made it clear that a total of 2830 Pakistanis, 912 Afghanis and 171 Bangladeshis have been conferred Indian citizenship. Many of those granted Indian citizenship belong to the majority community of these three communities. This right remains intact even after the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act.
What the Home Ministry has now clarified had been already emphasised by the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In his speeches in both the houses, Shah had made it clear that the Indian Muslims have absolutely nothing to fear about and that they won’t be affected by this legislation. He had also made it clear that the Amendment does not take away anyone’s citizenship, but only creates a special procedure for granting citizenship upon the persecuted minorities coming from the three neighbouring, Islamic countries.
Shah had said, “Indian Muslims are citizens of the country and will remain so… Citizenship bill is not to snatch anyone’s Indian citizenship. Muslims have no need to fear or worry.” Replying to a reference made by Samajwadi Party MP, Javed Ali Khan, the Union Home Minister had also said, “India will never become Muslim-mukt even if you want so. Even after the passage of the Bill in the Parliament, Shah only reiterated, “The CAA is to give citizenship to refugees facing religious persecution, it is not to take away citizenship of any Indian.”
Despite, Union Home Minister, Amit Shah repeatedly making it clear both inside and outside the Parliament that the Amendment is not going to snatch the citizenship of any Indian and it is only a benevolent legislation to create a special procedure for conferring citizenship upon those who are persecuted in the Islamic countries of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh, the vested interests have continued rumouring.
The Home Ministry’s clarification once again debunks the kind of absurd myths that are being spread about the Amendment. Moreover, as per a recent IB report, 25,447 Hindus, 5,807 Sikhs, 55 Christians, two Buddhists and two Parsis will benefit from the CAA. Now, these beneficiaries will become actual citizens of India only if they apply for citizenship. This also shows that the misapprehensions and rumours of the ‘outsiders’ flooding the Northeast and destroying the indigenous culture of those states, including Assam is sheer fear-mongering and propaganda. There is only a thin number of such persecuted minorities that will gain citizenship and this will get further filtered given the strong protection afforded to Schedule VI areas and ILP areas. The Home Ministry has thus substantially busted myths that were being spread against the legislation.
