• Latest
  • Trending

What the Citizenship Amendment Bill portends for India

December 6, 2019
Austria donates essential medicines to Sri Lanka

Austria donates essential medicines to Sri Lanka

August 17, 2022
Laugfs gas

Laugfs gas price reduced

August 17, 2022
Sri Lankan passports

Special counter to issue passports for overseas jobs

August 17, 2022
Inflation

UK inflation tops 10%, highest since 1982

August 17, 2022
T20 World Cup in 2026

India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the T20 World Cup in 2026

August 17, 2022
Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Gotabaya Rajapaksa will return to Sri Lanka next week

August 17, 2022
Footage posted by the fire brigade on Twitter showed large plumes of smoke coming from under the railway arch, which it said was "completely alight". (Photo: Twitter/@LondonFire)

Large blaze in central London railway arch under control – fire service

August 17, 2022
Exchange Rate

Foreign Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka; USD, GBP, EUR, SGD, CAD

August 17, 2022
File photo of Jacqueline Fernandez | PTI

Jacqueline Fernandez to be named accused in ₹200 crore extortion case: Report

August 17, 2022
Multiple bomb and arson attacks rock southern Thailand

Multiple bomb, arson attacks rock Thailand’s south

August 17, 2022
Covid-19 representational image. Fusion Medical Animation @fusion_medical_animation / Unsplash

Covid-19 deaths and cases update in Sri Lanka

August 17, 2022
Elon Musk

Elon Musk says he is buying Manchester United

August 17, 2022
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
Thursday, August 18, 2022
No Result
View All Result
NewsIn.Asia
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    Austria donates essential medicines to Sri Lanka

    Austria donates essential medicines to Sri Lanka

    Sri Lankan passports

    Special counter to issue passports for overseas jobs

    T20 World Cup in 2026

    India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the T20 World Cup in 2026

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa will return to Sri Lanka next week

    Exchange Rate

    Foreign Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka; USD, GBP, EUR, SGD, CAD

    File photo of Jacqueline Fernandez | PTI

    Jacqueline Fernandez to be named accused in ₹200 crore extortion case: Report

    Covid-19 representational image. Fusion Medical Animation @fusion_medical_animation / Unsplash

    Covid-19 deaths and cases update in Sri Lanka

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    Govt says Gotabaya Rajapaksa not using state funds on expenses abroad

    Britain launches trade system for developing countries including Sri Lanka

    Britain launches trade system for developing countries including Sri Lanka

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    Inflation

    UK inflation tops 10%, highest since 1982

    Footage posted by the fire brigade on Twitter showed large plumes of smoke coming from under the railway arch, which it said was "completely alight". (Photo: Twitter/@LondonFire)

    Large blaze in central London railway arch under control – fire service

    Multiple bomb and arson attacks rock southern Thailand

    Multiple bomb, arson attacks rock Thailand’s south

    Elon Musk

    Elon Musk says he is buying Manchester United

    Britain launches trade system for developing countries including Sri Lanka

    Britain launches trade system for developing countries including Sri Lanka

    A view shows a bionic hand developed by COVVI, at Quayside Business Park in Leeds, Britain. (Photo: Reuters)

    Bionic hand can be updated with new gestures, anytime, anywhere

    Kenya's Deputy President and presidential candidate William Ruto of Kenya Kwanza (Kenya first) political party coalition delivers a speech the rally on the final day of campaigning at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on August 6, 2022.

    William Ruto defeats Raila Odinga to win Kenyan presidency

    Digital. Image credits - Scott Graham @homajob / Unsplash

    In remote work and tech companies, job titles have gotten longer – and fancier

    Donald Trump

    FBI searched Trump’s home to look for nuclear documents and other items, sources say

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Books
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    Raksha Bandhan to Laal Singh Chaddha: ‘Struggling’ Bollywood’s online hate problem

    Raksha Bandhan to Laal Singh Chaddha: ‘Struggling’ Bollywood’s online hate problem

    Marvel has unleashed the first look teaser of Black Panther 2.

    Black Panther Wakanda Forever: Marvel pays emotional tribute to Chadwick Boseman

    Stranger Things

    Netflix confirms ‘Stranger Things’ spinoff and play

    Kamal Haasan's Vikram is on a rampage.

    Kamal Haasan’s Vikram is the highest-grossing film in Singapore, UK and UAE

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

    ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ celebrates 25 magical years

    Salman Khan

    Plot to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan revealed

    Shah Rukh Khan's Jawaan, to be directed by Atlee, to scheduled for June 2023 release. (Photo: Twitter)

    Shah Rukh Khan announces new film ‘Jawaan’

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    Austria donates essential medicines to Sri Lanka

    Austria donates essential medicines to Sri Lanka

    Digital. Image credits - Scott Graham @homajob / Unsplash

    In remote work and tech companies, job titles have gotten longer – and fancier

    Walk. Image credits - Arek Adeoye @areksan / Unsplash

    Why even 2 minutes of walking after a meal will improve your health

    Cheeseburger. Image credits - Alamy / BBC

    McDonald’s puts up price of cheeseburger for first time in 14 years

    WHO declares rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency

    WHO declares rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency

    Sushmita Sen. Image credits - Getty Images

    Sushmita Sen: Why ‘gold digger’ jibe caused outrage

    Honey. Image credits - Mariana Ibanez / Unsplash

    7 unique health benefits of honey

    alcohol

    Alcohol is never healthy for people under 40, study finds

    world’s happiest countries in 2022

    List of world’s happiest countries in 2022

    Emirates

    Emirates statement on operations at London Heathrow

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    A view shows a bionic hand developed by COVVI, at Quayside Business Park in Leeds, Britain. (Photo: Reuters)

    Bionic hand can be updated with new gestures, anytime, anywhere

    FILE PHOTO: The Netflix logo is pictured on a television in this illustration photograph taken in Encinitas, California, U.S., January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

    Disney overtakes Netflix in race for subscribers

    Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 phones on Aug 10, 2022. (Photo: Samsung)

    5 things to know about Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable smartphones

    Image: WhatsApp

    WhatsApp’s new update makes it easier to avoid your friends

    Snapchat. Image credits - May Gauthier @maygauthier / Unsplash

    Snap launches tools for parents to monitor teens’ contacts

    FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Google logo is seen in this illustration taken April 12, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

    Thousands of users around the world report Google outage

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Videos
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • All
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
    Austria donates essential medicines to Sri Lanka

    Austria donates essential medicines to Sri Lanka

    Sri Lankan passports

    Special counter to issue passports for overseas jobs

    T20 World Cup in 2026

    India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the T20 World Cup in 2026

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa will return to Sri Lanka next week

    Exchange Rate

    Foreign Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka; USD, GBP, EUR, SGD, CAD

    File photo of Jacqueline Fernandez | PTI

    Jacqueline Fernandez to be named accused in ₹200 crore extortion case: Report

    Covid-19 representational image. Fusion Medical Animation @fusion_medical_animation / Unsplash

    Covid-19 deaths and cases update in Sri Lanka

    Gotabaya Rajapaksa

    Govt says Gotabaya Rajapaksa not using state funds on expenses abroad

    Britain launches trade system for developing countries including Sri Lanka

    Britain launches trade system for developing countries including Sri Lanka

  • World
    • All
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    Inflation

    UK inflation tops 10%, highest since 1982

    Footage posted by the fire brigade on Twitter showed large plumes of smoke coming from under the railway arch, which it said was "completely alight". (Photo: Twitter/@LondonFire)

    Large blaze in central London railway arch under control – fire service

    Multiple bomb and arson attacks rock southern Thailand

    Multiple bomb, arson attacks rock Thailand’s south

    Elon Musk

    Elon Musk says he is buying Manchester United

    Britain launches trade system for developing countries including Sri Lanka

    Britain launches trade system for developing countries including Sri Lanka

    A view shows a bionic hand developed by COVVI, at Quayside Business Park in Leeds, Britain. (Photo: Reuters)

    Bionic hand can be updated with new gestures, anytime, anywhere

    Kenya's Deputy President and presidential candidate William Ruto of Kenya Kwanza (Kenya first) political party coalition delivers a speech the rally on the final day of campaigning at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi on August 6, 2022.

    William Ruto defeats Raila Odinga to win Kenyan presidency

    Digital. Image credits - Scott Graham @homajob / Unsplash

    In remote work and tech companies, job titles have gotten longer – and fancier

    Donald Trump

    FBI searched Trump’s home to look for nuclear documents and other items, sources say

  • Business
  • Politics
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
    • All
    • Books
    • Gaming
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Series
    Raksha Bandhan to Laal Singh Chaddha: ‘Struggling’ Bollywood’s online hate problem

    Raksha Bandhan to Laal Singh Chaddha: ‘Struggling’ Bollywood’s online hate problem

    Marvel has unleashed the first look teaser of Black Panther 2.

    Black Panther Wakanda Forever: Marvel pays emotional tribute to Chadwick Boseman

    Stranger Things

    Netflix confirms ‘Stranger Things’ spinoff and play

    Kamal Haasan's Vikram is on a rampage.

    Kamal Haasan’s Vikram is the highest-grossing film in Singapore, UK and UAE

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone

    ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone’ celebrates 25 magical years

    Salman Khan

    Plot to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan revealed

    Shah Rukh Khan's Jawaan, to be directed by Atlee, to scheduled for June 2023 release. (Photo: Twitter)

    Shah Rukh Khan announces new film ‘Jawaan’

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Chchutir diner Gaan by Bangladeshi singer Nondita

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

    Song “Bechain Nazar Betaab Jigar”. Talat Mahmood. Film “Yasmin” 1955

  • Lifestyle
    • All
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Health
    • Science
    • Travel
    Austria donates essential medicines to Sri Lanka

    Austria donates essential medicines to Sri Lanka

    Digital. Image credits - Scott Graham @homajob / Unsplash

    In remote work and tech companies, job titles have gotten longer – and fancier

    Walk. Image credits - Arek Adeoye @areksan / Unsplash

    Why even 2 minutes of walking after a meal will improve your health

    Cheeseburger. Image credits - Alamy / BBC

    McDonald’s puts up price of cheeseburger for first time in 14 years

    WHO declares rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency

    WHO declares rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency

    Sushmita Sen. Image credits - Getty Images

    Sushmita Sen: Why ‘gold digger’ jibe caused outrage

    Honey. Image credits - Mariana Ibanez / Unsplash

    7 unique health benefits of honey

    alcohol

    Alcohol is never healthy for people under 40, study finds

    world’s happiest countries in 2022

    List of world’s happiest countries in 2022

    Emirates

    Emirates statement on operations at London Heathrow

    Trending Tags

    • Golden Globes
    • Mr. Robot
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Climate Change
    • Flat Earth
  • Tech
    A view shows a bionic hand developed by COVVI, at Quayside Business Park in Leeds, Britain. (Photo: Reuters)

    Bionic hand can be updated with new gestures, anytime, anywhere

    FILE PHOTO: The Netflix logo is pictured on a television in this illustration photograph taken in Encinitas, California, U.S., January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File Photo

    Disney overtakes Netflix in race for subscribers

    Samsung unveiled its new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 phones on Aug 10, 2022. (Photo: Samsung)

    5 things to know about Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 foldable smartphones

    Image: WhatsApp

    WhatsApp’s new update makes it easier to avoid your friends

    Snapchat. Image credits - May Gauthier @maygauthier / Unsplash

    Snap launches tools for parents to monitor teens’ contacts

    FILE PHOTO: A 3D printed Google logo is seen in this illustration taken April 12, 2020. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

    Thousands of users around the world report Google outage

    Trending Tags

    • Sillicon Valley
    • Climate Change
    • Election Results
    • Flat Earth
    • Golden Globes
    • MotoGP 2017
    • Mr. Robot
  • Coronavirus
  • Videos
NewsIn.Asia
No Result
View All Result
Home Human Rights

What the Citizenship Amendment Bill portends for India

Editor by Editor
December 6, 2019
in Human Rights, India, Top Story, Uncategorized
Reading Time: 4 mins read
2 0
A A
Share on WhatsApp

By P.K.Balachandran/Daily Express

The Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB), which was passed by the Indian cabinet on December 4, and is to be presented in the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Parliament) in the coming week, will have far reaching consequences for the Indian polity both in constitutional and political terms.

It will overturn two things: (1) a fundamental feature of the Indian constitution which is secularism and (2) the basic conception of “Indian-hood”.

ADVERTISEMENT

The CAB envisages grant of citizenship to Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Parsees, Jains, Sikhs from the neighboring Muslim-majority countries (namely, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh), who had come to India as refugees complaining of religious persecution.

The CAB has omitted Muslims as a whole though some Muslim sects like Shias and Ahmadiyas are persecuted in these largely Sunni Muslim countries. The Ahmadiyas are not even recognized as Muslims by the Sunnis.
The bill is at odds with the secular principle enshrined in the constitution as it excludes a particular community, namely the Muslims. According to its critics, the move is a violation of Article 14 which guarantees the right to equality.

The Citizenship Act 1955 says that those seeking citizenship must have lived in India in the 12 months before their application and for 11 years of the previous 14 years. But the CAB relaxes the second requirement from 11 to six years for non-Muslim applicants from the three neighboring countries. Here too there is an invidious religious distinction, smacking of Islamophobia.

Defending the CAB, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has said that the three neighboring countries are Islamic nations and so, non-Muslims and not Muslims may be discriminated against or persecuted. These may be forced to seek asylum in India.

This, besides being presumptuous, is a pernicious argument as it casts aspersions on neighbors, who, barring Pakistan, have been friendly to India. It would not be right to brand them as communal countries which routinely persecute the Hindus and other non-Muslim countries.

If the Muslim majorities in Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Pakistan are branded as communal and being unfair to the Hindus, they might be motivated to link the Hindus among them as “Indians” with special link with India and loyalty towards India rather than their motherland.

Muslim Parties Oppose

The hardest hitting opposition to the CAB has expectedly come from the Muslim leaders. “India – No country for Muslims” tweeted the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, now in detention for opposing the abolition of Art 370 and Art 35A relating to the autonomy to her Muslim-majority State.
The Hyderabad-based All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen leader Asaduddin Owaisi said, that if implemented, the CAB “will give citizenship on the basis of religion, which is against the principles of our Constitution. It will make India Israel.”

“The CAB shows that the BJP government wants to make India a religious country. India will be in the league of Israel which is the most discriminatory country in the world,” he added.
Pointing out another discrepancy Owaisi said: “If the media reports are correct that the North-Eastern states will be exempted from the proposed CAB, then it will be a grave violation of Article 14 related to fundamental rights as you cannot have two laws on citizenship in this country.”

Acceptance of Two-National Theory

Owaisi further said that adoption of CAB would mean accepting the “Two-Nation Theory” according to which Hindus and Muslims belong to different nations and cannot live together. That theory was proponed by the advocates of Pakistan like Mohamamd Ali Jinnah and was opposed by Indian freedom fighters who did not distinguish between Hindus and Muslims. They made free India secular.
“Bringing the CAB will dishonor our freedom fighters. As an Indian Muslim, I rejected MA Jinnah’s (Two-Nation) theory. Now you are making a law wherein, unfortunately, you will be reminding the nation of the Two-Nation theory,” Owaisi said.

Protests in Eastern India

There have been protests over the CAB in the North Eastern States like Assam, as people there are worried that it will encourage immigration from neighboring Bangladesh. Already, illegal immigration from Bangladesh is a big issue in these States, especially Assam.

A long-standing demand in Assam had led to the creation of a National Register of Citizens (NRC) for that State last year. The NRC led to the discovery of 1.9 million illegal Bangladeshi Muslim immigrants in Assam. But Hindus were also among them. So, people are now asking: “Will these Bangladeshi Hindus, whose number is substantial, be given citizenship under the CEB?”

The Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government, an ally of the BJP, has opposed the bill. Calling the bill “dangerous,” the Meghalaya government said that they don’t agree with the idea of non-Muslims acquiring citizenship after six years of living in the country.

Defending the CAB, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said that the three neighboring countries are Islamic nations and so, non-Muslims and not Muslims may be discriminated against or persecuted. These may be forced to seek asylum in India.

Criticism of the bill from the non-Muslim opposition parties has not been sharp. This is because, with the successes of the BJP in elections, other parties are reluctant to play the Muslim card, though they count Muslims among their supporters.

For safety, they play what is called the “Soft Hindutwa” card. And these “Soft Hindutwa” category includes the Congress, the Telugu Desam Party, Biju Janata Dal, Janata Dal (United), and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK). These parties have support among the Muslims, but their main support base is Hindu and has to be Hindu, as Hindus are more than 80% of the Indian population.

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has said that the CAB is “unconstitutional” because it discriminates against a community, the Muslims, in a secular matter like citizenship. The Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brian has said that the CEB is a cheap election gimmick to corner Hindu communal votes.
Impact on Bangladesh

Many thinkers, if not politicians, are worried about the impact of the CAB and the NRC on Bangladesh and India-Bangladesh relations. Opponents of the NRC are asking if the 1.9 million illegal immigrants from Bangladesh as found out by the NRC process will be deported to Bangladesh. If so, Bangladesh will have to accept that they are Bangladeshi nationals. And this they will not do without documentary evidence.

Newspaper articles in Bangladesh say that manifest discrimination against and persecution of the so-called Bangladeshi Muslims in India due to the NRC and CAB, will result in counter discrimination against Hindus in Bangladesh who are a substantial section of the population there.

Such a development will hamper the ruling Awami League’s sincere efforts to make Bangladesh a secular country where all religious groups enjoy equal rights. The CAB may encourage Bangladeshi Hindus to migrate to India to look for better opportunities instead of serving their motherland – Bangladesh. Their loyalty to Bangladesh will be questioned by Muslims who are the majority community there. It will exacerbate communal tension.

Related Posts

Laugfs gas
Uncategorized

Laugfs gas price reduced

August 17, 2022
T20 World Cup in 2026
Around The World

India and Sri Lanka will jointly host the T20 World Cup in 2026

August 17, 2022
File photo of Jacqueline Fernandez | PTI
Around South Asia

Jacqueline Fernandez to be named accused in ₹200 crore extortion case: Report

August 17, 2022
Wickremesinghe reiterates Sri Lanka’s commitment to the One-China policy
Around South Asia

Lanka round-up: No extension of Emergency after August 18: President

August 17, 2022
Indian Railway
Around South Asia

Man wins 22-year legal battle against Indian Railway over 25 cents

August 16, 2022
How India came out of the 1991 economic crisis
Economy

How India came out of the 1991 economic crisis

August 16, 2022
  • Electricity

    Power cut schedule today in Sri Lanka: 17th August

    49433 shares
    Share 19786 Tweet 12353
  • Registration open for National Fuel Pass

    6549 shares
    Share 2657 Tweet 1622
  • Foreign Exchange Rates from Central Bank of Sri Lanka; USD, GBP, EUR, SGD, CAD

    1407 shares
    Share 569 Tweet 349
  • WATCH : Yohani’s first live performance in India

    785 shares
    Share 327 Tweet 191
  • Power interruption schedule released: Check your area power cut time

    734 shares
    Share 312 Tweet 176
  • About Us
  • Advertisements
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

© 2022 All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Around South Asia
    • Afghanistan
    • Bangladesh
    • Bhutan
    • China
    • India
    • Maldives
    • Myanmar
    • Nepal
    • Pakistan
    • Sri Lanka
  • Around The World
  • Breaking News
  • Business
    • Exchange
  • Climate Change
  • Governance
    • Crime
    • Diplomacy
    • Defense
    • Human Rights
    • Politics
    • Strategic Affairs
  • Lifestyle
    • Books
    • Entertainment
      • Arts
      • Cinema
      • Gaming
      • Music
      • Movie
      • Series
      • TV
    • Health
    • Fashion
    • Food
    • Travel
  • Culture
    • Ethnicity
    • Gender
  • Development news
  • Economy
  • Education
  • Environment
  • Coronavirus
  • History
  • National
  • Offbeat
    • Media
    • Music and arts across South Asia
  • Recommended
    • Headlines
    • Highlights
    • Top Picture
    • Top Story
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Cricket
      • LPL
      • IPL
    • Tennis
    • Formula 1
    • NBA
  • Tech
    • Instagram
  • United Nations
  • Weather
  • World
    • Japan
    • Russia
    • United States
  • Videos

© 2022 All rights reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

mersin eskort -

Meritroyalbet

-
Jojobet
- Süperbetin - eskisehir escort -

https://www.vudols.com/

- Sağlık Personeli - istanbul avukat