The Union Home Ministry announced on Wednesday that the process of granting citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA) has been set forth in West Bengal, Uttarakhand, and Haryana. Citizenship certificates were physically given to 14 applicants in Delhi on May 15, 2024, with many more being delivered digitally via email.
Implementation Across States:
West Bengal: The Hindu reported that at least eight Hindu migrants from Bangladesh were granted citizenship. The Ministry stated, “The process of granting citizenship certificates under the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, has now begun in the State of West Bengal, where the first set of applications from the state were today granted citizenship by the Empowered Committee, West Bengal.”
Haryana and Uttarakhand: Committees associated with CAA in these states have granted citizenship to their first set of applicants.
Background and Procedures:
The MHA had announced the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, on March 11, which allowed for the implementation of the Act. The first certificates under CAA were granted to Pakistani Hindus in Delhi by Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla on May 15.
CAA Overview
Passed by Parliament in December 2019 and receiving consent from the president shortly thereafter, the CAA was passed to give Indian citizenship to persecution non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. These communities include Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, Christians, and exempt Muslims. The act was enacted in 2019, and the rules facilitating its implementation were announced in March 2024.
Application and Verification:
To apply for the certificates, applicants are to submit applications online at indiancitizenshiponline.nic.in, which are then scrutinized by district-level committees headed by postal department officials. Applicants must provide any of nine specified documents proving their roots in the countries they belong to. After document verification, the District-Level Committees (DLCs) administer the oath of allegiance to the applicants. Over 25,000 applications have been received so far.
Implementation Despite Protests and Controversies:
The introduction of the CAA in 2019 led to a rife of protests across the country. Critics and Muslim groups argued that the Act discriminates against Muslims, potentially leading to the deportation of those who lack the documents due to various reasons. They claimed that the law, coupled with a proposed citizenship registry, could marginalize Muslims. In response, the political leaders, including Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said that “no one will face any inconvenience or difficulty. You will get both citizenship and respect in the country.”
The Union Ministry continues to monitor and facilitate the implementation of the CAA across several states, aiming to process the various applications from persecuted non-Muslim communities in neighboring countries.
