The Lok Sabha on Monday i.e. 9.12.2019 passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) amidst the opposition protests. The bill was passed with 311 votes in favour against 80 votes with zero abstentions.
As per the Union Home Minister Amit Shah, this bill was a “historic bill” sought to complete what the “Nehru-Liaqat pact could not do.”
What is CAB?
The Citizenship Amendment Bill aims to change the definition of legal migrants. It allows members of six communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to apply for naturalisation. However, the act does not include Muslim sects. The minority groups that can apply for naturalisation are Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians.
Amit Shah says, “the bill will not affect Indian Muslims or their rights at all,” as the muslim population in the country had grown to 14% from 9.8%.
The beneficiaries of the Citizenship Amendment Bill can reside in any state of the country and the burden of these persecuted migrants mentioned above shall be shared by the whole country.
At present, the Constitution of India provides citizenship by naturalisation to people who entered the country prior to December 31, 2014 and have stayed for at least five years. It also approves it for the people whose parents or grandparents were born in India.
Who are illegal citizens?
According to the Citizenship Bill of 1955, an illegal migrant is the one who enters the country with fake or forged/illegal documents and does not have a valid passport/visa (including ones who stay beyond the visa permit).
Why is CAB opposed?
Not only the opposition parties, but also the activists, aristocrats are against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2018 as it threatens to work against the cultural and linguistic identity of indigenous people. The Northeastern states along with Manipur and some parts of Tripura nad Assam will come under the Inner Line Permit (ILP) System.
Protests were held in January 2019 in Manipur, Nagaland and Meghalaya when the Union Home Minister brought the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill into the parliament. The Nagaland and Nort East Forum of Indigenous People (NEFIP) claimed to seek UN intervention had centre implemented the bill.
Also, if the bill is made into an act, it will further nullify the updated NRC (National Registration of Citizenship). Opposition parties including the Congress, All India United Democratic Front are opposing the bill on the basis of religion.
Furthermore, BJP’s coalition partner in Assam threatened to cut ties with the party if the bill is implemented into act. NGOs and students union have also stepped forward to oppose the bill.
