New Delhi, 11 March : The controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act, also known as CAA, was put into effect by the Government on Monday, marking four years since its contentious passage. Enacted in 2019, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act aims to confer Indian citizenship upon refugees who fled to India prior to December 31, 2014, owing to religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Government sources have outlined the potential benefits of implementing the CAA, stating that it would eliminate “legal obstacles to rehabilitation and citizenship” and offer a dignified existence to long-suffering refugees. They emphasized that citizenship rights would safeguard the cultural, linguistic, and social identities of these refugees while also ensuring their economic, commercial, free movement, and property acquisition rights.
Despite facing criticism from opposition quarters, the Central Government has reiterated that the CAA does not jeopardize the citizenship of any Indian, regardless of their religion. Officials clarified that the Act is solely intended for those who have endured persecution and have no refuge apart from India.
However, the implementation of the CAA has drawn sharp rebuke from the Congress and other opposition parties. They argue that the timing of its enforcement, just prior to the announcement of election schedules, suggests a political motive, particularly in states like West Bengal and Assam.
Under the Indian Constitution, the government holds the authority to extend citizenship on humanitarian grounds to refugees who have faced religious persecution in their countries of origin. The delay in implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act was attributed by officials to the challenges posed by the Covid pandemic.
In its 2019 manifesto, the ruling BJP expressed its commitment to enacting the Citizenship Amendment Bill as a means of protecting persecuted religious minorities from neighboring nations.
