Divided Citizenship
17 March 2024
Published in: The Nation
The recent implementation of the controversial 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) by Modi has sparked widespread protests in India, with global peace organisations condemning the move that blatantly discriminates against religious minorities in India. This move highlights Modi’s intent to institutionalise Hindutva- a political and cultural ideology that promotes Hindu nationalism is exclusionary and discriminatory against other religious minorities in India.
The Human Rights Watch (HRW) is urging India to uphold asylum seekers’ rights and freedoms amidst the CAA implementation. Not only is this act divisive and dangerous, but it has led to widespread protests across India. With this move, India has strayed further away from its values of equality and religious tolerance.
The CAA speeds up the process of attaining citizenship for minorities from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh – but conveniently leaves out Muslims. This act is a display of religious bias. Amnesty International has rightly called it out for what it is: a bigoted law that legitimised discrimination based on religion.
By excluding Muslims, Modi is essentially signaling that India is open for some, but not all. This move highlights how the act is not really about fast-tracking citizenship but rather about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is pushing its Hindutva agenda into law, constitutionalising racism and Islamophobia. The CAA is a threat to India’s identity as a pluralistic society. The condemnation of the CAA is not only coming from international organisations, but it echoes deep across India. Thousands have taken to the streets in protest, refusing to stay silent in the face of injustice. Every individual, regardless of their religion, deserves equal treatment under the law. It is time for India to step up and fulfill its international human rights obligations.
India must heed the calls of international organisations and revoke this discriminatory law. This will help India reaffirm its commitment to equality and justice for all. If India refrains from doing so, it will only receive more backlash from international organisations and the religious minorities in India, deepening the divide between the religious communities in India.