In recent weeks, Assam has
seen many protests over the proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
The Bill has been termed
“Anti-Assam” by BJP's ally Asom Gana Parishad, and similarly criticised by
other regional parties.
And, earlier this month, when the
Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Bill visited Assam and Meghalaya
to hear from the locals, it did so amid protest voices which said the move
would make Assam a “dumping ground for Hindu Bangladeshis”.
What does the Bill aim for?
With The Citizenship (Amendment)
Bill, 2016, the government plans to change the definition of illegal
migrants. The Bill, introduced in the Lok Sabha on July 15, 2016, seeks to amend
the Citizenship Act, 1955 to provide citizenship to illegal migrants,
from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan, who are of Hindu, Sikh,
Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian extraction. However, the Act doesn’t
have a provision for Muslim sects like Shias and Ahmediyas who also face
persecution in Pakistan.
The Bill also seeks to reduce
the requirement of 11 years of continuous stay in the country to six years
to obtain citizenship by naturalisation.
When did this idea gain
stream?
The BJP had promised to grant
citizenship to Hindus persecuted in the neighbouring countries during the 2014
General Election. In the party's election manifesto, the BJP had promised to
welcome Hindu refugees and give shelter to them.
Who are illegal immigrants?
According to the Citizenship Act,
1955, an illegal immigrant is one who enters India without a valid passport
or with forged documents. Or, a person who stays beyond the visa permit.
Why and who all are opposing
the Bill in Assam?
BJP's coalition partner Assam
Gana Parishad has threatened to cut ties with the party if the Bill is passed.
It considers the Bill to work against the cultural and linguistic identity
of the indigenous people of the State. NGOs such as The Krishak Mukti
Sangram Samiti and students' organisation All Assam Students’ Union also have
come forward opposing the Bill.
All Opposition parties, including
the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front, have opposed the
idea of granting citizenship to an individual on the basis of religion. It
is also argued that the Bill, if made into an Act, will nullify the updated
National Registration of Citizenship (NRC). The process of updating the NRC
is currently underway in Assam.
What is NRC?
The National Register of Citizens
(NRC) is meant to identify a bona fide citizen. In other words, by the
order of the Supreme Court of India, NRC is being currently updated in Assam
to detect Bangladeshi nationals who might have entered the State illegally
after the midnight of March 24, 1971. The date was decided in the 1985
Assam Accord, which was signed between the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi
and the AASU. The NRC was first published after the 1951 Census
in the independent India when parts of Assam went to the East Pakistan, now
Bangladesh.
The first draft of the updated
list was concluded by December 31, 2017. The second draft is yet to be
released.
How will the Bill affect the
updated NRC list?
While Bill is designed to grant
citizenship to non-Muslim refugees persecuted in neighbouring countries, NRC
does not distinguish migrants on the basis of religion. It will consider deporting
anyone who has entered the State illegally post-March 24, 1971, irrespective
of their religion. Currently there are six detention camps for illegal migrants
in Assam but it’s still not clear how long the people will be detained in these
camps. The process of deportation or duration of detention is not clear as it
has not been stated by the government. But if the Bill becomes an Act, the
non-Muslims need not go through any such process, meaning this will be clearly
discriminating against Muslims identified as undocumented immigrants.
Other than Assam, what are the
States likely to be affected?
States sharing borders with
Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan are likely to be affected.
The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance
(MDA) government, an ally of the BJP, has opposed the Bill. Calling the bill
"dangerous," the Meghalaya government said that they don't agree with
the idea of non-Muslims acquiring citizenship after six years of living in the
country.
What's the status of the Bill
now?
The Bill after been discussed in
the Lok Sabha, was referred to a joint select committee in August 2016. The
members of the Parliamentary Committee visited Barak Valley, the
Bengali-majority area of Assam, and Meghalaya to discuss it with various
organisations. They reportedly spoke to about 200 organisations.
Reach Us
if you face difficulty in understanding the above article.
No comments:
Post a Comment