India’s CAA Statements: “Misplaced, Misinformed, and Unwarranted”
The United States’ statement that it “will closely monitor” India’s implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, was rejected by the government on Friday. It was described as “misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted” and as interfering with internal affairs of New Delhi.
“Granting citizenship, not taking it away, is the goal of the Citizenship Amendment Act. At a scheduled press briefing this afternoon, a spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs stated, “It addresses the issue of statelessness, provides human dignity, and supports human rights.”
The ministry spokesperson emphasized, “We are of the view that the US State Department’s statement on the implementation of the CAA is misplaced, misinformed, and unwarranted.”
“Lectures by those with a limited understanding of India’s pluralistic traditions and the region’s post-partition history are best not attempted,” the government retorted sharply.
“India’s allies and well-wishers should applaud the intention behind this action.”
The US State Department’s Matthew Miller was questioned earlier today about whether the US government is worried that the CAA might have an impact on India’s freedom of religion. Mr. Miller retorted, “We are concerned and keeping a close eye on this law and its implementation.”
It was Monday, weeks before the nation’s general election, that the CAA received notice.
The law intends to expedite the naturalization process for undocumented non-Muslim migrants (comprising six communities) who are fleeing religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. It was approved by Parliament in 2019 but was not implemented until later due to the pandemic.
Home Minister Amit Shah has stated that the law is intended to assist minorities in those countries where they are subject to religious persecution in response to criticism leveled at the government over its exclusion of Muslims.
He said that under current legislation, Muslims from these countries as well as others can still apply for citizenship.
Additionally, the government stated that the CAA did not imply that the rights of Indian Muslims would be eliminated. The 18 crore Muslims who are thought to live in India will enjoy “equal rights as any other citizen.”
Only those Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, Buddhists, or Jains from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan—three countries with a majority of Muslims—who fled owing to religious persecution and entered India on or before December 31, 2014, were the focus of additional concerns expressed by the CAA and the government.
Furthermore, the government claims that the law only shortens the qualifying individual’s 11-year waiting period to five years before they can apply for citizenship.
“All Indians are guaranteed the freedom of religion by the Constitution. Concerns regarding how minorities are treated are unfounded. Vote-bank politics should not dictate opinions regarding a commendable effort to assist those in need, the External Affairs Ministry spokesperson stated today.
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