US commission on religious freedom to hold hearing on CAA

As violence spreads across North East Delhi over the contagious Citizenship Amendment Act, the US commission on international religious freedom is set to hold a hearing on how CAA affects religious minorities.

Washington:A US commission on international religious freedom will hold a hearing next week on how citizenship laws in countries like India and Myanmar are leveraged to deny the religious minorities legal protection, making them vulnerable to exploitation, discrimination and mass atrocities.

The announcement of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) came amidst the widespread protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the ongoing maiden official visit of US President Donald Trump to India.

According to the CAA, members of the Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014 following religious persecution there will get Indian citizenship.

The BJP government has been emphasising that the new law will not deny citizenship rights, but has been brought to protect the oppressed minorities of neighbouring countries and give them citizenship. The USCIRF hearing is scheduled for March 4.

Read:Delhi violence LIVE updates: Death toll climbs to 7, Section 144 imposed in two areas

"Witnesses will discuss how citizenship laws are used to target religious minorities, particularly in Burma (Myanmar) and India, and will highlight the importance of the atrocity prevention framework for understanding the potential consequences of these laws," it said in a statement.

With widespread protests in recent months in response to the CAA and a proposed National Register of Citizens, however, citizenship laws as a tool to target religious minorities is receiving much needed international attention, the USCIRF said.

"This phenomenon has a long-standing precedent with such measures as the 1982 Citizenship Law in Burma stripping the Rohingya of their rights as citizens. Without citizenship rights, minority communities are left to face further persecution and violence by both governments and non-state actors. In particular, government efforts to strip religious minorities of their citizenship can be a key predictor of mass atrocities," it said. Several experts have been invited to testify at the hearing.

A senior official of the Ministry of External Affairs has said it is widely acknowledged that India is a vibrant democracy where the Constitution provides protection of religious freedom, and where democratic governance and rule of law further promote and protect fundamental rights.

Read:We should unite to maintain law and order in Delhi: Amit Shah

Incidents of stone pelting have been reported in several parts of North East Delhi, with heavy police personnel deployed at Shaheen Bagh, the epicenter of anti-CAA protest.

Stones, pieces of bricks and glass shards lay strewn on road and plumes of smoke billowed from houses, shops and vehicles which were torched by mobs in northeast Delhi's Maujpur.

Security personnel conducted flag marches to disperse the mobs and maintain peace after the area witnessed heavy stone pelting and arson during clashes between pro and anti-CAA groups for the second consecutive day on Monday.

"Several policemen and civilians were injured and some lost their lives. Several houses were set ablaze and shops were damaged. It is very unfortunate," Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had said.

(With inputs from PTI)