(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) On Monday, officials announced the implementation of the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) 2019 through the issuance of its rules. This move opens the pathway for granting citizenship to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, according to officials.
With the issuance of the CAA rules, the Modi government will commence the process of granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India until December 31, 2014. This category includes Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians.
Passed in December 2019 and subsequently receiving the president's assent, the CAA faced protests across the country, resulting in the loss of over a hundred lives during anti-CAA protests or police actions.
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The law remained unenforceable as rules had not been notified until now. According to the Manual on Parliamentary Work, legislation rules should be framed within six months of presidential assent, or the government must seek an extension from the Committees on Subordinate Legislation in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Since 2020, the Home Ministry has been obtaining regular extensions from the parliamentary committee for formulating the rules. The Ministry of Home Affairs has developed an online portal for applicant convenience, as the entire process will be conducted digitally. Applicants will be required to declare the year of their entry into India without travel documents.
Officials clarified that no documentation would be demanded from the applicants.
FAQs of CAA:
1. What is Citizenship Act?
Enacted in 1955, the Citizenship Act provides the framework for the acquisition, determination, and termination of Indian citizenship through various means such as birth, descent, registration, naturalization, or incorporation of territory.
2. What is Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA)?
The CAA, passed in 2019, allows migrants from six minority communities in neighboring countries facing religious persecution to apply for Indian citizenship.
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3. Who does the CAA apply to?
The CAA is specifically applicable to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian foreigners who migrated from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan to India before December 31, 2014, due to religious persecution.
4. Does the CAA affect any Indian citizen (Hindus, Muslims, anyone)?
No, the CAA does not impact any Indian citizens, including Muslims.
5. How does it benefit Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian foreigners?
The CAA grants the legal right for these communities to apply for Indian citizenship, facilitating an expedited naturalization process after a residency period of six (1+5) years.
6. Is CAA applicable to foreigners other than the six minority community groups?
No, the CAA exclusively applies to the specified minority communities from the three neighboring countries.
7. Can minorities facing religious persecution in countries other than these three countries apply under the CAA?
No, such minorities need to follow the standard process for Indian citizenship without any preference under the CAA.
8. Why only these three countries?
The CAA focuses on addressing religious persecution in neighboring countries with a specific state religion, where followers of other religions have faced persecution.
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9. Does the CAA cover other forms of persecution – on grounds of race, gender, etc.?
No, the CAA exclusively covers instances of religious persecution for the specified minority community groups in the three neighboring countries.
10. Had India offered citizenship to any persons from other countries?
Yes, India has previously extended offers of citizenship and resettlement to various groups, including Tamils from Sri Lanka, individuals from Burma, and those from Uganda following a coup in the 1970s.
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