Citizenship Amendment Act and identity politics

The amendment to the Citizenship Act, 1955 has polarised the entire country. While its supporters argue that the CAA will correct the injustice done to members of certain communities during India-Pakistan partition, critics are of the view that it is against the spirit of the Constitution and a conspiracy to divide people on the basis of religion.

Hyderabad:Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is causing unrest afresh in Eastern India. Northeastern states like Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya are particularly witnessing widespread protests.

While supporters say that the CAA will correct the injustice done to members of certain communities during India-Pakistan partition, critics say that it is against the spirit of the Constitution and a conspiracy to divide people on the basis of religion.

Citizenship Act, 1955 states that those who enter India without any documents are illegal migrants and bans citizenship to them.

However, the new CAA offers to treat minorities - Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Christian, Buddhist and Parsi - who came from undivided India like Pakistan, Bangladesh and neighbouring Afghanistan due to religious persecution, as refugees.

The fresh Act seeks not to treat them as illegal migrants besides giving eligibility to apply for citizenship as well.

Interestingly, the Muslims of the same three nations are not eligible to apply for Indian citizenship.

Decades-long problem

In 1947, after the division of the nation into India and Pakistan, about 1.5 cr people crossed borders on both sides, some given shelter as refugees and some acquired citizenship.

An estimate suggests that about 80,000 people migrated to India during the 1959 Tibetan uprising.

Interestingly, Tibetan spiritual leader, 14th Dalai Lama himself is a refugee in India.

In 1972, several Indian-origin citizens in Uganda who faced harassment migrated back home as refugees.

More than one lakh Tamils from Sri Lanka migrated to India as refugees owing to a proxy war.

Though there is no issue with these refugees, the problem is being posed from "illegal migrants" in India.

During the division of India, people in Western frontiers faced many problems as most of the migrations occurred on religious background.

While Hindus and Sikhs switched over to India, a lot of Muslims from India shifted over to that nation.

However, the situation in the Eastern frontier is different.

Later on, due to the changed political scenario in East Pakistan and Bangladesh, lakhs of people migrated to India from Bangladesh. That flow of migration is continuing till date.

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiran Rijiju has informed in Parliament that about 2.40 cr "illegal migrants" came from Bangladesh.

Most of them are in West Bengal and not in Assam as being conceived.

More than 75 lakh "illegal migrants" are in West Bengal, followed by Assam and Tripura, which occupy second and third positions respectively, so far as immigration from Bangladesh is concerned.

National capital Area too has been hit by about 7 lakhs to 8 lakhs of "illegal migrants", apart from Uttar Pradesh, Kerala and Hyderabad.

It is a known fact that from the beginning, Assam has been seeing protests and movements against the migrants.

Migration has been leading to tension among Hindus as the Muslim population has been increasing between 35 lakh and 25 lakh.

This led to students protests, agreement with the Centre and preparation of National Register of Citizens (NRC), identification of 19 lakhs of illegal migrants and chaos prevail.

In spite of a large number of illegal migrants, the issue of "illegal immigration" was not raked up until the BJP strengthened its political base in West Bengal.

The BJP says that "illegal migration" was the reason behind the rise in religious population, as the Muslim population increased from 20 per cent in 1950, to 27 per cent in 2011 in West Bengal.

It alleges that the CPM and Trinamool Congress governments have kept this problem under wraps.

Adivasis in Tripura became minorities due to migration from Bengal as their population fell down from 60 per cent in 1951 to 31 per cent in 2011.

So, there is a stiff objection from Aadivasi on illegal migration.

Followed by a discussion with several associations, Home Minister Amit Shah prepared the Bill. As a result, many MPs of Eastern India extended support to it.

Regions with Inner Line Permit and those covered by the sixth schedule do not come under this Act.

In Eastern India, Assam (except 3 self-ruling areas) and Tripura (except Aadivasis self-ruling area), Shillong - the capital of Meghalaya - come under the purview of this Act.

So, the protests are confined to these areas only.

Lack of Determination

In Eastern India, migration is more in Assam and Tripura. Despite Bengalis becoming the majority in Tripura, Adivasi agitation is not a big issue.

Since the beginning, Assam is on the path of agitation and it led to an agreement in 1985, known as the Assam Accord.

Discontent prevails among Assamese as the agreement was not implemented properly for the past 35 years.

With the Supreme Court's intervention, NRC was implemented which identified about 19 lakh migrants. Of them, about five to six lakhs of Hindus can stay back as NRC offered them eligibility under the CAA.

This added to the anguish of the Assamese, and they resorted to protests to safeguard their language, culture and existence.

Immediate steps on the part of the government are required to ensure confidence that there is no danger to their language, culture and existence.