"Implementation of CAA is matter of a pride," says a refugee
Mar 12, 2024
New Delhi [India], March 12 : A refugee expressed happiness at the Union Home Ministry notifying rules for implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) on Monday.
The refugee said that the government of India knows the real situation of minorities.
"The country was divided based on religion. We were left to die. We came here after suffering a lot. We did not belong anywhere. Now, the Government of India has implemented CAA. So, it is a matter of pride. We can't describe it in words," he said.
He further expressed satisfaction over the Ram Mandir issue getting solved.
"I appreciate all the issues that were raised by the Hindu society and government of India in the past few years. Be it the issue of the Ram Mandir or citizenship, justice has been delivered. I wish such issues keep coming to the notice of the centre," he added.
It is noteworthy that days ahead of the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections schedule in the country, the centre has notified rules for implementation of CAA.
Home Minister Amit Shah, on multiple occasions, said that CAA rules would be notified ahead of the Lok Sabha elections to be held in April-May.
The CAA rules, introduced by the Narendra Modi government and passed by Parliament in 2019, aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants - including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians - who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014.
Following the passage of the CAA by Parliament in December 2019 and its subsequent Presidential assent, significant protests erupted in various parts of the country.
Under the Citizenship Act of 1955, Indian citizenship by registration or naturalization is granted to non-Muslim minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in nine states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, and Maharashtra. It's notable that authorities in districts of Assam and West Bengal, both politically sensitive regions on this matter, have not been empowered with these citizenship-granting authorities thus far.
