Data Does Not Justify Centre's Stand On Citizenship Law
According to statistics presented by the Home Ministry in the Lok Sabha, more than 3,000 people from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan were granted Indian citizenship during the first term of the Modi government.
The government has stated that only 31,000 people will be eligible for citizenship even after the amendment in the Citizenship Act. Amid this, questions are being raised over the intention of the government behind bringing in the disputed Act.
The Central government has introduced the Citizenship Amendment Act to award citizenship to victims of religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, due to which protests are taking place in several parts of the country. Amid this, data presented by the Home Ministry in Parliament reveals that very few people from the three above-mentioned countries were granted Indian citizenship during PM Modi’s first term in office. According to figures, 148 people from Bangladesh, 665 people from Afghanistan and 2,668 people from Pakistan were given Indian citizenship between 2015 and 2019. Apart from this, in the year 2015, 14,864 people of Bangladeshi origin were granted citizenship en masse under the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement. This agreement was signed on May 16, 1974, between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, according to which both countries were to exchange land. However, it took more than 40 years to implement this accord and it was finally executed in 2015. Figures make it evident that the number of people - from the three above-mentioned countries - getting citizenship is very few and around 31,000 people will get an immediate advantage after the new law comes into force. These are the same people who escaped to India from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014. The question that arises is instead of framing a law to grant citizenship to a few thousand people, could the government not have found another solution which would have prevented the nation from being scorched in the flames of protests and furore?
The Central government has introduced the Citizenship Amendment Act to award citizenship to victims of religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, due to which protests are taking place in several parts of the country. Amid this, data presented by the Home Ministry in Parliament reveals that very few people from the three above-mentioned countries were granted Indian citizenship during PM Modi’s first term in office. According to figures, 148 people from Bangladesh, 665 people from Afghanistan and 2,668 people from Pakistan were given Indian citizenship between 2015 and 2019. Apart from this, in the year 2015, 14,864 people of Bangladeshi origin were granted citizenship en masse under the India-Bangladesh Land Boundary Agreement. This agreement was signed on May 16, 1974, between Prime Minister Indira Gandhi and Bangladesh PM Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, according to which both countries were to exchange land. However, it took more than 40 years to implement this accord and it was finally executed in 2015. Figures make it evident that the number of people - from the three above-mentioned countries - getting citizenship is very few and around 31,000 people will get an immediate advantage after the new law comes into force. These are the same people who escaped to India from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014. The question that arises is instead of framing a law to grant citizenship to a few thousand people, could the government not have found another solution which would have prevented the nation from being scorched in the flames of protests and furore?
At the end of the day, the #CAA will ultimately benefit a little over 30,000 #refugees in India. The question is, could the government have taken another route to help them and avoid the crippling countrywide protests against the #CitizenshipLaw? @RaGa_reports pic.twitter.com/KiI5kp2bf3
— GoNewsIndia (@GoNews_India) February 19, 2020
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