News Analysis India

Tag: Citizenship Amendment Act

  • ‘Muslims Coined Term Bharat Mata Ki Jai’: Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan Challenges RSS Amid CAA Row |

    MALAPPURAM: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has stirred a debate by claiming that the iconic nationalistic slogans ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ and ‘Jai Hind’ were initially coined by Muslims. Speaking at a rally in the Muslim-majority Malappuram district on Monday, Vijayan emphasized the significant role of Muslims in India’s history and independence movement.

    Azimullah Khan: The Originator Of ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’

    Vijayan highlighted historical figures to support his claim, citing Azimullah Khan as the individual behind ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’. Kerala CM’s assertion challenges the mainstream narrative surrounding the origins of the slogan, prompting reflection on the diversity of contributions to India’s nationalist ethos.

    Abid Hasan And The ‘Jai Hind’ Slogan

    In a similar vein, Vijayan credited Abid Hasan, an old diplomat, with the creation of the ‘Jai Hind’ slogan. By acknowledging Hasan’s role, the CM underscored the multicultural fabric of India’s nationalist fervour, transcending religious boundaries.

    Role Of Muslims In India’s Freedom Movement

    The CM further emphasized the integral role played by Muslims in India’s struggle for independence. Drawing attention to their contributions, CM Vijayan aimed to foster inclusivity and recognition of diverse narratives within the national discourse.

    Kerala CM Slams CAA

    Transitioning to contemporary politics, Vijayan criticized the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), alleging discriminatory intent against Muslims. He accused the RSS-led BJP government of marginalizing Muslims through the CAA, sparking resistance from Kerala’s politically aware populace.

    Amidst his criticism, CM Vijayan lambasted the opposition Congress party for purportedly lacking sincerity in opposing the CAA. He cited instances where Congress leaders were absent during protests, contrasting it with the active involvement of Left leaders.

    CM Vijayan didn’t shy away from criticizing the central government and its alleged tacit approval of violence against anti-CAA protestors. He drew parallels between RSS ideology and fascist doctrines, challenging the foundations of the Sangh Parivar’s political ethos.

  • Supreme Court To Hear Muslim League’s Plea Demanding Stay On CAA Rules Today |

    The Supreme Court is set to review several pleas on Tuesday requesting the government to suspend the enforcement of the 2024 Citizenship Amendment Rules. The stay is demanded until the court has resolved the challenges to the constitutionality of the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The bench announced its intention to schedule all applications requesting a suspension of the Rules for a hearing on Tuesday. Additionally, the highest court mentioned that the entire set of 237 petitions will be included in the list alongside the most recent applications.

    The early hearing was warranted after Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) argued that once migrant Hindus are granted Indian citizenship, it cannot be revoked, thus suggesting the need for an expedited hearing. A panel consisting of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra have acknowledged the arguments by Sibal.

    Apart from IUML, the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Debabrata Saika, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Abdul Khaleque, a Congress MP from Assam, and various others have also submitted applications requesting a suspension of the Rules.

    ‘Muslim Community Deprived Of CAA Benefits’ 

    One day after the government released the regulations under the CAA, the Kerala-based political party IUML filed a petition in the Supreme Court, requesting a stay to the enforcement of these regulations. The IUML urged for a suspension of the contested law and regulations, arguing that no punitive measures should be taken against members of the Muslim community who have been excluded from the benefits of this legislation, reported ANI. 

    PK Kunhalikutty, a leader of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), expressed solidarity with the Kerala government’s stance of abstaining from enforcing CAA. “Why should they implement a law that has not been welcomed by anyone in India? What is the need? Why are they taking a partisan stand in the matter of citizenship? ” Kunhalikutty told agency. 

    Kerala Government’s Plea Against CAA 

    On March 11, following the Union Home Ministry’s notification of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rules, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan asserted that Kerala would not enforce the Act. Vijayan stated, “The LDF government approached the Supreme Court to confirm that Kerala would not implement the Citizenship Amendment Act. Kerala is the first state to move a plea against CAA in the Supreme Court. The state will initiate further legal action soon.”

    Mandate Under CAA 2019  

    The regulations of the CAA, brought by the Central government and ratified by Parliament in 2019, is designed to grant Indian citizenship to persecuted migrants belonging to Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians community who fled from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and entered India prior to December 31, 2014.

  • ‘Misplaced, Misinformed And Unwarranted’: MEA Rejects US Remarks On CAA |

    NEW DELHI: The Government of India (GoI) on Friday categorically rejected the remarks made by the US State Department that it will ”closely monitor” the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act across the country. Registering strong objections to the remarks made by the US State Department, the Ministry Of External Affairs called it “misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted”.  

    Addressing a press conference on a wide range of issues including the CAA, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The CAA is about giving citizenship, not about taking away citizenship. It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity and supports human rights.” Calling the Citizenship Amendment Act an ”internal matter”, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said the law is in line with India’s inclusive traditions and long-standing commitment to human rights. 

    ”The CAA grants safe haven to persecuted minorities belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian communities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, who have entered India on or before December 31 2014,” he added.

     

    #WATCH | On CAA, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, “As you are well aware, the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 is an internal matter of India and is in keeping with India’s inclusive traditions and a long-standing commitment to human rights. The act grants a safe haven to… pic.twitter.com/cJBiDvI7JU


    — ANI (@ANI) March 15, 2024

     

    The MEA official further stated, “As regards the US State Department’s statement on the implementation of the CAA, we are of the view that it is misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted,” 

    The response from the MEA came shortly after the US State Department spokesperson, Matthew Miller, said, “We are concerned… we are closely monitoring this law (and) how it will be implemented.”  Miller made these remarks when asked how the CAA could affect religious freedom in India. 

    “Respect for religious freedom and equal treatment under the law for all communities are fundamental democratic principles,” Miller added.

    The Centre implemented the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019 on Monday, reducing the qualification period of application for citizenship from 11 to 5 years for eligible migrants who came to India before December 31, 2014.

    The government also came out with a press statement to say that Indian Muslims need not worry as the CAA will not impact their citizenship and has nothing to do with the community which enjoys equal rights as their Hindu counterparts.

  • Home Ministry To Issue Helpline Numbers To Assist Applicants For Indian Citizenship Under CAA |

    NEW DELHI: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) announced on Wednesday that it will soon launch helpline numbers to help people applying for Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA-2019). Applicants can get information about the CAA-2019 for free by calling these numbers. The service will be available from 8 am to 8 pm. MHA posted about this on X. “Helpline number to assist applicants for Indian citizenship under CAA -2019 will be launched soon. Applicants will be able to get information related to CAA-2019 by calling free of cost from anywhere in India. The service will be available from 8 am to 8 pm,” MHA posted on X.

     

    Helpline Number to assist applicants of Indian citizenship under #CAA -2019 is being started soon. Applicants can make free calls from anywhere in India & get info. related to CAA-2019. Helpline to be available from 8 am to 8 pm.@HMOIndia @PIB_India @ddnewslive @airnewsalert pic.twitter.com/UR54yuTVIp
    — Spokesperson, Ministry of Home Affairs (@PIBHomeAffairs) March 13, 2024

     

    New Rules Aim To Aid Refugees

    The MHA recently notified the CAA Rules, 2024, which remove legal barriers for refugees seeking rehabilitation and citizenship under the act. This move aims to provide a better life for refugees who have faced hardship for many years.

    Web Portal And Mobile App To Facilitate Applications

    Previously, the MHA launched a web portal where eligible non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, fleeing religious persecution, could apply for Indian citizenship. Additionally, they will soon introduce a mobile app called ‘CAA-2019’ to make the application process more accessible.

    Who Can Apply?

    Persecuted individuals from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, belonging to six minority communities—Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians—can apply for Indian citizenship if they sought shelter in India before December 31, 2014. The application process is entirely online through the “Indian Citizenship Online Portal.”

    Application Process

    Applicants must submit their applications to an Empowered Committee via a District Level Committee headed by a designated officer. All necessary documents and photographs are to be uploaded online, and applications undergo a security check. Additionally, applicants must appear in person to subscribe to the application and take an oath of allegiance.

    Documents Required 

    Applicants must provide various documents, including those issued by government authorities in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. These documents establish the applicant’s identity and their eligibility for citizenship under the CAA.

    Proof of Entry

    Applicants must prove that they entered India before December 31, 2014, to be eligible for citizenship. This initiative aims to streamline the citizenship application process for eligible individuals seeking refuge in India.

  • West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee tells states to join fight against CAA

    Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the Citizenship Amendment Act and related rules were “unconstitutional” and “discriminatory” under Article 14 of the Constitution and there was no clarity or transparency in the rules. She urged all states to get ready to fight against CAA.

    “The Centre notified CAA rules yesterday (Monday). I have doubts if CAA is legal. There is no clarity on the rules. There is an attempt at falsification and a conspiracy to take away citizenship from people,” Banerjee warned people at the Habra rally in North 24 Parganas district.

    “There is no transparency about CAA. Once people apply for it, despite being citizens, their citizenship will be taken away and they will become foreigners or illegal immigrants again. What will happen to your property, children studying in schools and jobs? It is a game plan to take away citizenship. It is connected with NRC. You will be taken to detention camps,” she warned.”We will not accept CAA. We don’t accept NRC and divisiveness,” she asserted. “Think cautiously before applying for this. Otherwise, you will be taken to detention camps,” she warned people. “In the name of NRC in Assam, the names of 13 lakh Bengali Hindus were omitted.”

    “The process of implementation is not clear. This CAA is a political game ahead of the Lok Sabha polls,” Banerjee said. “This is a jumla by the BJP. In my state, I will not allow anyone snatch the rights from the people. We will not allow NRC.” “I have taken legal advice. In the name of CAA, after application, valid citizens after declaration will become illegal immigrants. It is a conspiracy,” Banerjee said.

  • Watch: `Pakistani Bhabhi` Seema Haider Reacts To CAA Rules Notification

    Seema Haider feels that issues of her citizenship will also be resolved soon as CAA rules have come into effect in the country.

  • Festering wounds of CAA protests keep citizenship issue alive in Assam

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: Widespread protests in Assam after the enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on this day three years ago have left behind a festering wound that has kept the citizenship issue alive in the northeastern state sharing a long border with Bangladesh.

    The BJP government at the Centre asserts that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 will be implemented but is yet to frame the rules, leading to allegations from various quarters that the saffron party is using it as a “political card” to polarise the nation.

    The Citizenship Act, of 1955 was amended to provide citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian religious minorities fleeing persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and seeking refuge in India till 2014.

    The Opposition protested the Act as being based on religious criteria and wanted it to be amended.

    The protests against the Act in Assam were led by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) but the stir was different from those in other parts of the country as agitators asserted that the state cannot be a dumping ground for foreigners irrespective of their religion.

    The agitation in Assam had turned violent, with five people losing their lives in police firing and KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi and four others being arrested. The stir was called off with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In the aftermath of the agitation, two new political parties — Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) led by the then AASU leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi and Raijor Dal headed by Akhil Gogoi — were born in Assam.

    “The BJP uses CAA as a political tool, particularly during elections, and it has not framed the rules as it wants to keep the ‘foreigners’ issue’ alive in Assam. What’s worse is that the party has brought a communal angle through the Act with its narrative ‘Hindu khatre mein hain’ (Hindus are in danger),” AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi told PTI.ALSO READ | No CAA rollout, yet MHA moves to grant citizenship

    The CAA has made the Assam Accord and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) irrelevant, he claimed.

    “The Centre must give constitutional safeguards to Assam like those accorded to other northeastern states against further settlement of ‘foreigners’ as those who came after 1971 – Hindu ‘Bangladeshis’ or others – cannot be rehabilitated in our state,” Raijor Dal working president Bhasco de Saikia said.

    “We are firm on our opposition to the Act which we consider to be a part of the BJP’s communal politics and if they frame the rules, the ‘foreigners’ should be taken to other states,” Saikia said.

    The RSS and the BJP, however, asserted that both the CAA and NRC are not against any Indian and that the communal narrative has been created “by some” for political mileage.

    RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat pointed out here last year that no Muslim will face any persecution due to CAA.

    Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had also asserted that the CAA is for those who are “victims of Partition and persecuted in a communal country created on the basis of religion.”

    Sarma had claimed that “so-called secular protesters” at the national level tried to give a communal colour to the protests in Assam.

    Political writer and analyst Sushanta Talukdar said the government has been delaying the implementation of CAA as it is wary of adverse reactions in Assam and Tripura where the ruling BJP has high stakes.

    “The Centre is apprehensive of exposing linguistic and ethnic fault lines in the Northeast and antagonising its own and alliance partners’ electoral support base because, without adequate constitutional safeguards, the Act could lead to the marginalisation of indigenous people by the migrant population which might result in their loss of political power and identity,” Talukdar added.ALSO READ | ‘Won’t accept foreigners’: Voices against CAA get louder 

    GUWAHATI: Widespread protests in Assam after the enactment of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) on this day three years ago have left behind a festering wound that has kept the citizenship issue alive in the northeastern state sharing a long border with Bangladesh.

    The BJP government at the Centre asserts that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 will be implemented but is yet to frame the rules, leading to allegations from various quarters that the saffron party is using it as a “political card” to polarise the nation.

    The Citizenship Act, of 1955 was amended to provide citizenship to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian religious minorities fleeing persecution from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and seeking refuge in India till 2014.

    The Opposition protested the Act as being based on religious criteria and wanted it to be amended.

    The protests against the Act in Assam were led by the All Assam Students Union (AASU) and the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) but the stir was different from those in other parts of the country as agitators asserted that the state cannot be a dumping ground for foreigners irrespective of their religion.

    The agitation in Assam had turned violent, with five people losing their lives in police firing and KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi and four others being arrested. The stir was called off with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    In the aftermath of the agitation, two new political parties — Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) led by the then AASU leader Lurinjyoti Gogoi and Raijor Dal headed by Akhil Gogoi — were born in Assam.

    “The BJP uses CAA as a political tool, particularly during elections, and it has not framed the rules as it wants to keep the ‘foreigners’ issue’ alive in Assam. What’s worse is that the party has brought a communal angle through the Act with its narrative ‘Hindu khatre mein hain’ (Hindus are in danger),” AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi told PTI.ALSO READ | No CAA rollout, yet MHA moves to grant citizenship

    The CAA has made the Assam Accord and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) irrelevant, he claimed.

    “The Centre must give constitutional safeguards to Assam like those accorded to other northeastern states against further settlement of ‘foreigners’ as those who came after 1971 – Hindu ‘Bangladeshis’ or others – cannot be rehabilitated in our state,” Raijor Dal working president Bhasco de Saikia said.

    “We are firm on our opposition to the Act which we consider to be a part of the BJP’s communal politics and if they frame the rules, the ‘foreigners’ should be taken to other states,” Saikia said.

    The RSS and the BJP, however, asserted that both the CAA and NRC are not against any Indian and that the communal narrative has been created “by some” for political mileage.

    RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat pointed out here last year that no Muslim will face any persecution due to CAA.

    Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had also asserted that the CAA is for those who are “victims of Partition and persecuted in a communal country created on the basis of religion.”

    Sarma had claimed that “so-called secular protesters” at the national level tried to give a communal colour to the protests in Assam.

    Political writer and analyst Sushanta Talukdar said the government has been delaying the implementation of CAA as it is wary of adverse reactions in Assam and Tripura where the ruling BJP has high stakes.

    “The Centre is apprehensive of exposing linguistic and ethnic fault lines in the Northeast and antagonising its own and alliance partners’ electoral support base because, without adequate constitutional safeguards, the Act could lead to the marginalisation of indigenous people by the migrant population which might result in their loss of political power and identity,” Talukdar added.ALSO READ | ‘Won’t accept foreigners’: Voices against CAA get louder 

  • Matuas to stop trusting BJP if Citizenship Amendment Act not implemented: Community leaders

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Days after the Centre decided to grant citizenship to a section of people who came from a neighbouring country and settled in Gujarat, Matua community members in Bengal said they would ‘stop trusting the BJP’ if similar benefit was not provided to them.

    Leaders of the community said they will hit the streets if their demand for citizenship was not met with.

    “We are hopeful that citizenship will also be granted to us soon, but if that doesn’t happen, Matuas will be hitting the streets in protest,” said Mukut Moni Adhikari, a senior leader of All India Matua Mahasangha.

    Matuas, who make up for a large chunk of the state’s Scheduled Caste population, had been migrating to West Bengal from Bangladesh since the 1950s, ostensibly due to religious persecution.

    All those who migrated till March 1971 are legal citizens of India, according to the 1955 citizenship act.

    The ones who came after 1971 have to apply for naturalization after a stay of seven years, according to the provisions of the act.

    The Centre recently decided to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who left Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and settled in two districts of Gujarat, under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

    The Matuas, however, have been promised citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019.

    “We are aware that citizenship is being granted in Gujarat under 1955 Act. We want CAA 2019 to be implemented too as early as possible,” Adhikari told PTI.

    The controversial CAA, which can grant citizenship to all Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Christians who fled religious persecution from neighbouring SAARC countries, is, however, yet to be implemented in the wake of the wide-spread protests against it, especially in the northeast.

    According to the Matua leaders, community members are apprehensive about the future of the law, which is pending implementation for nearly three years.

    Adhikari, who is also a BJP MLA from the Matua-dominated Ranaghat Dakshin constituency, said he is confident that the BJP government at the Centre would keep its promise.

    “Matuas want citizenship to be given under CAA 2019, which has religious persecution as a clause. The CAA 2019, once implemented, will give Matua community its due recognition,” Adhikari said.

    However, another senior leader of Matua Mahasangha, Asim Sarkar, said the community members will no longer have faith in the BJP, as they did during 2019 Lok Sabha elections, if CAA is not implemented before 2024.

    “We think the BJP leadership will keep its poll promise of 2019. But if it is not implemented before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Matuas will stop trusting the BJP,” Sarkar, also a BJP MLA from Haringhata assembly seat, told PTI.

    “What was the need to pass a new law in 2019 if you are granting citizenship under the 1955 Act? I think there should be a clarification,” Sarkar said.

    Around 30 lakh Matuas reside in West Bengal, with the community holding sway in at least five Lok Sabha seats and nearly 40 assembly constituencies in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts.

    The promise of implementing CAA was a major poll plank for the BJP in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, which helped the party bag all five Matua-dominated Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and at least 29 assembly seats in 2021.

    Speaking on the issue, Union minister of state for shipping Santanu Thakur said that CAA implementation has been put on hold as several cases are pending against it.

    “There are several cases that were filed by forces who didn’t want CAA 2019 to be implemented. Once these are cleared, it is likely to get implemented,” Thakur, also a Matua leader, told PTI.

    “The 1955 act is applicable till the new act of 2019 gets implemented. Matuas won’t be deprived of citizenship,” he added.

    BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh pointed out that the BJP kept its promise “when it came to the Ram Mandir issue and Article 370” and that CAA will not be an exception.

    The ruling TMC in Bengal, however, claimed that the BJP was trying to fool Matuas with the “CAA hoax”.

    “They are trying to rake up the issue again ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” Mamatabala Thakur, a former TMC MP and the daughter-in-law of the community’s late matriarch Binapani Devi, told PTI.

    Political observers feel that implementation of CAA is unlikely in the near future as it has implications on domestic politics and also diplomatic ties.

    “The issue of CAA will be used by both the BJP and the TMC before next Lok Sabha polls as it will help them polarize voters on communal lines,” political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty added.

    KOLKATA: Days after the Centre decided to grant citizenship to a section of people who came from a neighbouring country and settled in Gujarat, Matua community members in Bengal said they would ‘stop trusting the BJP’ if similar benefit was not provided to them.

    Leaders of the community said they will hit the streets if their demand for citizenship was not met with.

    “We are hopeful that citizenship will also be granted to us soon, but if that doesn’t happen, Matuas will be hitting the streets in protest,” said Mukut Moni Adhikari, a senior leader of All India Matua Mahasangha.

    Matuas, who make up for a large chunk of the state’s Scheduled Caste population, had been migrating to West Bengal from Bangladesh since the 1950s, ostensibly due to religious persecution.

    All those who migrated till March 1971 are legal citizens of India, according to the 1955 citizenship act.

    The ones who came after 1971 have to apply for naturalization after a stay of seven years, according to the provisions of the act.

    The Centre recently decided to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who left Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and settled in two districts of Gujarat, under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

    The Matuas, however, have been promised citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019.

    “We are aware that citizenship is being granted in Gujarat under 1955 Act. We want CAA 2019 to be implemented too as early as possible,” Adhikari told PTI.

    The controversial CAA, which can grant citizenship to all Hindus, Jains, Sikhs and Christians who fled religious persecution from neighbouring SAARC countries, is, however, yet to be implemented in the wake of the wide-spread protests against it, especially in the northeast.

    According to the Matua leaders, community members are apprehensive about the future of the law, which is pending implementation for nearly three years.

    Adhikari, who is also a BJP MLA from the Matua-dominated Ranaghat Dakshin constituency, said he is confident that the BJP government at the Centre would keep its promise.

    “Matuas want citizenship to be given under CAA 2019, which has religious persecution as a clause. The CAA 2019, once implemented, will give Matua community its due recognition,” Adhikari said.

    However, another senior leader of Matua Mahasangha, Asim Sarkar, said the community members will no longer have faith in the BJP, as they did during 2019 Lok Sabha elections, if CAA is not implemented before 2024.

    “We think the BJP leadership will keep its poll promise of 2019. But if it is not implemented before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the Matuas will stop trusting the BJP,” Sarkar, also a BJP MLA from Haringhata assembly seat, told PTI.

    “What was the need to pass a new law in 2019 if you are granting citizenship under the 1955 Act? I think there should be a clarification,” Sarkar said.

    Around 30 lakh Matuas reside in West Bengal, with the community holding sway in at least five Lok Sabha seats and nearly 40 assembly constituencies in Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas districts.

    The promise of implementing CAA was a major poll plank for the BJP in the last Lok Sabha and Assembly polls, which helped the party bag all five Matua-dominated Lok Sabha seats in 2019 and at least 29 assembly seats in 2021.

    Speaking on the issue, Union minister of state for shipping Santanu Thakur said that CAA implementation has been put on hold as several cases are pending against it.

    “There are several cases that were filed by forces who didn’t want CAA 2019 to be implemented. Once these are cleared, it is likely to get implemented,” Thakur, also a Matua leader, told PTI.

    “The 1955 act is applicable till the new act of 2019 gets implemented. Matuas won’t be deprived of citizenship,” he added.

    BJP national vice president Dilip Ghosh pointed out that the BJP kept its promise “when it came to the Ram Mandir issue and Article 370” and that CAA will not be an exception.

    The ruling TMC in Bengal, however, claimed that the BJP was trying to fool Matuas with the “CAA hoax”.

    “They are trying to rake up the issue again ahead of 2024 Lok Sabha polls,” Mamatabala Thakur, a former TMC MP and the daughter-in-law of the community’s late matriarch Binapani Devi, told PTI.

    Political observers feel that implementation of CAA is unlikely in the near future as it has implications on domestic politics and also diplomatic ties.

    “The issue of CAA will be used by both the BJP and the TMC before next Lok Sabha polls as it will help them polarize voters on communal lines,” political scientist Biswanath Chakraborty added.

  • Umar Khalid completes 2 years in jail; mother says she is ‘optimistic’ of him walking free soon

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: “I am optimistic, that he will walk out of prison soon,” says the mother of former JNU student leader Umar Khalid who has been in jail from two years in connection with Northeast Delhi riots in 2020.

    Khalid was arrested by Delhi Police on September 13, 2020. He has been booked under provisions of The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

    The Delhi Police charged Khalid for disrupting religious sentiments and argued that he was a part of a larger conspiracy in the riots that jolted the national capital.

    “I am highly optimistic that my son will walk out of the jail very soon. I spoke to Umar last week, he always speaks cheerfully. I keep on trying to motivate him and ask him to keep his hopes high. Not just bail, but all cases against him should be closed off or withdrawn,” Khalid’s mother Sabiha Khanum told PTI.

    The Delhi High Court had last week reserved its order on Khalid’s bail plea.

    Khalid had contended that he neither had any “criminal role” in the violence nor any “conspiratorial connect” with any other accused in the matter.

    Speaking at an event ‘In pursuit of Justice’ here, Supreme Court advocate Shah Rukh Alam claimed that the FIR against Khalid is “nothing but a political document” and that, there is no “substantial evidence” against the accused.

    “When the court tells us to keep politics away’, it is mostly when someone questions the policies of the government. FIR number 59 of 2020 doesn’t mention any offence and there’s no substantial evidence in the FIR. It is purely a political document and so was the state’s counter during Khalid’s bail hearing,” Alam.

    JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh said that the government “tends to take action” against those “who question their policies”.

    “Umar always discussed the injustice that happened, not just within the campus, but also outside it. That is what made his voice distinct and hence, the people in power are scared of students like him. The fight of all political prisoners will continue even though this government tends to take action against all those who question their policies,” she said.

    During his bail plea hearing, Khalid said that there was no material to support the case of the prosecution against him and that he raised issues that several others were discussing in the country, including those concerning the Citizenship Amendment Act.

    Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others were booked under the anti-terror law UAPA, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

    The violence erupted during the protests against CAA and NRC. In a letter to his friend written from the prison premises, Khalid said that he feels lonely and pessimistic at times.

    “How do we fight against this monstrous machine of lies and falsehood? The purveyors of hate and falsehood have so many resources ” money, pliant 24×7 news channels, lots of them, troll armies, and the police too.

    To be honest, it makes me feel pessimistic at times. At times I also feel lonely. Lots of people far more privileged than me who were together in this fight against fascism, in the movement against CAA-NRC/NPR, today choose to remain silent when I am singled out for these lies.

    “It makes you feel unwanted. It makes you feel like a stranger in your own land. The only thing I find succour in such moments is the realisation that none of this is personal. That my persecution and isolation is symbolic of something larger — the persecution and isolation of Muslims in India right now,” Khalid said in the letter shared with the online portal The Wire.

    NEW DELHI: “I am optimistic, that he will walk out of prison soon,” says the mother of former JNU student leader Umar Khalid who has been in jail from two years in connection with Northeast Delhi riots in 2020.

    Khalid was arrested by Delhi Police on September 13, 2020. He has been booked under provisions of The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

    The Delhi Police charged Khalid for disrupting religious sentiments and argued that he was a part of a larger conspiracy in the riots that jolted the national capital.

    “I am highly optimistic that my son will walk out of the jail very soon. I spoke to Umar last week, he always speaks cheerfully. I keep on trying to motivate him and ask him to keep his hopes high. Not just bail, but all cases against him should be closed off or withdrawn,” Khalid’s mother Sabiha Khanum told PTI.

    The Delhi High Court had last week reserved its order on Khalid’s bail plea.

    Khalid had contended that he neither had any “criminal role” in the violence nor any “conspiratorial connect” with any other accused in the matter.

    Speaking at an event ‘In pursuit of Justice’ here, Supreme Court advocate Shah Rukh Alam claimed that the FIR against Khalid is “nothing but a political document” and that, there is no “substantial evidence” against the accused.

    “When the court tells us to keep politics away’, it is mostly when someone questions the policies of the government. FIR number 59 of 2020 doesn’t mention any offence and there’s no substantial evidence in the FIR. It is purely a political document and so was the state’s counter during Khalid’s bail hearing,” Alam.

    JNUSU President Aishe Ghosh said that the government “tends to take action” against those “who question their policies”.

    “Umar always discussed the injustice that happened, not just within the campus, but also outside it. That is what made his voice distinct and hence, the people in power are scared of students like him. The fight of all political prisoners will continue even though this government tends to take action against all those who question their policies,” she said.

    During his bail plea hearing, Khalid said that there was no material to support the case of the prosecution against him and that he raised issues that several others were discussing in the country, including those concerning the Citizenship Amendment Act.

    Khalid, Sharjeel Imam, and several others were booked under the anti-terror law UAPA, and provisions of the Indian Penal Code for allegedly being the “masterminds” of the February 2020 riots, which had left 53 people dead and over 700 injured.

    The violence erupted during the protests against CAA and NRC. In a letter to his friend written from the prison premises, Khalid said that he feels lonely and pessimistic at times.

    “How do we fight against this monstrous machine of lies and falsehood? The purveyors of hate and falsehood have so many resources ” money, pliant 24×7 news channels, lots of them, troll armies, and the police too.

    To be honest, it makes me feel pessimistic at times. At times I also feel lonely. Lots of people far more privileged than me who were together in this fight against fascism, in the movement against CAA-NRC/NPR, today choose to remain silent when I am singled out for these lies.

    “It makes you feel unwanted. It makes you feel like a stranger in your own land. The only thing I find succour in such moments is the realisation that none of this is personal. That my persecution and isolation is symbolic of something larger — the persecution and isolation of Muslims in India right now,” Khalid said in the letter shared with the online portal The Wire.

  • Infrastructure major worry for additional Foreigners Tribunals across Assam

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Even as the Union Home Ministry recently disbursed its budgeted allocation for operationalising the 200 additional Foreigners Tribunals across Assam, the same number of members have been “attached” with the original 100 quasi-judicial bodies as no new infrastructure, including buildings to house the courts, have been built or provided.

    MHA officials were chary in revealing the amount disbursed to the Assam government in May this year. However, in a May 2019 letter to the Assam Chief Secretary, the MHA had granted “in principle” approval to the state government’s proposal to initially set up 400 FTs at an estimated expenditure of Rs 563.6 crore. The initial target was subsequently brought down to 200.

    To make matters more complicated, hundreds of thousands of appeals cases related to persons whose citizenship could not be established during the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam, are not being heard as the rules governing the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are yet to be framed. The Foreigners Tribunals are mandated to adjudicate whether a person is a foreigner or an Indian citizen.

    The 200 Foreigners’ Tribunals (FTs) were to become functional from September 1, 2019, as a consequence of a May 2019 Supreme Court order. They are part of the 1,000 proposed FTs which, MHA sources said, “whose establishment will now be delayed”.

    However, the FTs remained idle for the first six months since the members did not have any work. Sometime in March 2020, the new members were assigned the task of disposing over 1 lakh “pending references” arising out of the NRC exercise. The MHA also approved this Assam government proposal.

    To begin with, 50 newly appointed members were designated as “attached members” with 50 of the 100 original operational FTs in August 2020. But the immediate challenge faced by the Assam government was little or no infrastructure for the new FTs.

    “Not only physical buildings and courtrooms, each tribunal lacked other basic necessities such as chairs, tables and file cabinets among other things,” an Assam senior advocate associated with a February 12, 2021, Gauhati High Court case involving the Assam government, the Centre (MHA and the Ministry of External Affairs) and the Accountant General, told TNIE. “The Assam government did not respond when the matter involving the lack of infrastructure was raised,” the advocate said.

    Subsequently, in an October 25, 2021, meeting chaired by the Assam Chief Secretary, it was decided that there should be a “rationalisation of members”. Accordingly, an Assam government “policy decision” did not “assign regular work” to the 200 newly appointed members of the FTs “since the possibility of NRC rejection slip being issued in (the) near future is very bright”.

    However, an order placing all the 200 new members at the disposal of the original 100 FTs was issued in January 2022. “This effectively means that the Centre has now allocated the budgeted amount for setting up the 200 new FTs which are only on paper,” a source said.

    While each of the FT members are paid Rs 90,000 monthly salary (about Rs 22 crore annually for 200 members) besides perks, the problem has been compounded by the Assam government’s failure to appoint about 2,000 employees such as peons, attendants, computer operators etc, making it difficult for the members to execute their tasks.

    When contacted, Congress Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi said that FTs are the “MHA’s responsibility” as it reimburses the state by making budgetary allocations in this regard. “The FTs are not functional because the rules governing the CAA have not been framed. There are a lot of grey areas,” Bordoloi said.

    NEW DELHI: Even as the Union Home Ministry recently disbursed its budgeted allocation for operationalising the 200 additional Foreigners Tribunals across Assam, the same number of members have been “attached” with the original 100 quasi-judicial bodies as no new infrastructure, including buildings to house the courts, have been built or provided.

    MHA officials were chary in revealing the amount disbursed to the Assam government in May this year. However, in a May 2019 letter to the Assam Chief Secretary, the MHA had granted “in principle” approval to the state government’s proposal to initially set up 400 FTs at an estimated expenditure of Rs 563.6 crore. The initial target was subsequently brought down to 200.

    To make matters more complicated, hundreds of thousands of appeals cases related to persons whose citizenship could not be established during the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC) exercise in Assam, are not being heard as the rules governing the 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) are yet to be framed. The Foreigners Tribunals are mandated to adjudicate whether a person is a foreigner or an Indian citizen.

    The 200 Foreigners’ Tribunals (FTs) were to become functional from September 1, 2019, as a consequence of a May 2019 Supreme Court order. They are part of the 1,000 proposed FTs which, MHA sources said, “whose establishment will now be delayed”.

    However, the FTs remained idle for the first six months since the members did not have any work. Sometime in March 2020, the new members were assigned the task of disposing over 1 lakh “pending references” arising out of the NRC exercise. The MHA also approved this Assam government proposal.

    To begin with, 50 newly appointed members were designated as “attached members” with 50 of the 100 original operational FTs in August 2020. But the immediate challenge faced by the Assam government was little or no infrastructure for the new FTs.

    “Not only physical buildings and courtrooms, each tribunal lacked other basic necessities such as chairs, tables and file cabinets among other things,” an Assam senior advocate associated with a February 12, 2021, Gauhati High Court case involving the Assam government, the Centre (MHA and the Ministry of External Affairs) and the Accountant General, told TNIE. “The Assam government did not respond when the matter involving the lack of infrastructure was raised,” the advocate said.

    Subsequently, in an October 25, 2021, meeting chaired by the Assam Chief Secretary, it was decided that there should be a “rationalisation of members”. Accordingly, an Assam government “policy decision” did not “assign regular work” to the 200 newly appointed members of the FTs “since the possibility of NRC rejection slip being issued in (the) near future is very bright”.

    However, an order placing all the 200 new members at the disposal of the original 100 FTs was issued in January 2022. “This effectively means that the Centre has now allocated the budgeted amount for setting up the 200 new FTs which are only on paper,” a source said.

    While each of the FT members are paid Rs 90,000 monthly salary (about Rs 22 crore annually for 200 members) besides perks, the problem has been compounded by the Assam government’s failure to appoint about 2,000 employees such as peons, attendants, computer operators etc, making it difficult for the members to execute their tasks.

    When contacted, Congress Lok Sabha MP Pradyut Bordoloi said that FTs are the “MHA’s responsibility” as it reimburses the state by making budgetary allocations in this regard. “The FTs are not functional because the rules governing the CAA have not been framed. There are a lot of grey areas,” Bordoloi said.