The
Citizenship Amendment Bill 2016 seeks to allow illegal migrants from certain
minority communities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan eligible for
Indian citizenship.
Issues involved –
- Violates Article 14 of our constitution as it excludes various persecuted minorities for example Rohingyas of Myanmar and Ahamadiya in Pakistan.
- Violates India’s long-standing refugee policy in which refugees would have to return to their homeland once normalcy prevailed
- International relations with these countries may get affected
- Choice of countries - The bill left out other neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan etc.
- Fails the tenets of international refugee laws
- Impacts negatively on the demographics of North western region and North Eastern states especially Assam
- Implications for asymmetric federalism – differential treatment of states
.
.
Widening
of fault lines in Assam
–
- It may lead to the rise of sub-nationalist politics in the region - divided the residents of Assam in Brahmaputra Valley (majority of Muslim settlements & mostly anti-Bill) and Barak Valley (Hindu Bengali settlements & pro-Bill).
- Contradicts the Assam Accord of 1985 & ongoing NRC process
- There are an estimated 20 million illegal Bangladeshi migrants in Assam and they have inalienably altered the demography of the state
- It puts severe strain on the state’s resources and economy. Ex – Livelihood, land and employment issues will rise
- It can lead to increase in violence and crime rate
- It will affect the existing culture of the state
.
.
The bill should be taken back and the views of local people and promises made to them must be respected along with adhering to the constitutional principles and international tenets.