Central government notifies implementation of Citizenship Amendment Act
The Centre has notified the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The announcement comes a month after Home Minister Amit Shah said that the CAA would be implemented before the Lok Sabha elections. The law seeks to grant citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Parsis who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014 from Bangladesh, Pakistan, or Afghanistan.
Why does this story matter?
The promise to implement CAA was an integral part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's 2019 election manifesto. The CAA, now notified, would be a big boost for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, which is seeking a third consecutive term. Before CAA, Ram Mandir in Ayodhya was inaugurated in January, fulfilling the BJP's long-standing election promise. PM Modi presided over the consecration ceremony.
CAA an act of the country: Shah
At the time Shah made the announcement, he said the CAA was an act of the country. "Minorities in our country, and especially our Muslim community, are being provoked...The CAA cannot snatch away anyone's citizenship because there is no provision in the Act. The CAA is an act to provide citizenship to refugees who were persecuted in Bangladesh and Pakistan," Shah said.
Government will start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants
With the CAA notified, the Modi government will now start granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who came to India until December 31, 2014. The CAA was passed in December 2019. Since its passage in Parliament, the bill has been the subject of intense debate, with the opposition calling it "discriminatory."
CAA protests in Northeast
Protests were prominent in the Northeast, especially in Assam, over fears that it would affect the demographic structure of the entire region. This is due to the decades-long issue of illegal infiltration from neighboring Bangladesh. In West Bengal, CM Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly asserted that the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government in the state will not allow the implementation of the CAA.
Security beefed up in northeast Delhi, Shaheen Bagh
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up in northeast Delhi, Shaheen Bagh, Jamia, and other sensitive areas across the national capital over fears of protests. To recall, Shaheen Bagh witnessed communal riots in 2020 over the CAA and NRC (National Register of Citizens). Over 100 individuals lost their lives either during the protests or as a result of police action after the law was passed.
