Why can’t Muslims apply for citizenship under CAA? Here’s govt answer

One of the key criticisms of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is that even Parsis and Christians — people of faiths not originating in India — are eligible under it, but not Muslims. Why is that so?

Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday (March 14) explained the reason in an interview to news agency ANI. According to Shah, Pakistan and Bangladesh are nations that were born to accommodate Muslims. Afghanistan also has a primarily Muslim population. Hence, it made sense to offer citizenship to the religious minorities who were persecuted in these Muslim nations, Shah explained.

Akhand Bharat

“That (Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan) is not a part of India today because of a Muslim population. It was given to them. I believe it is our moral and Constitutional responsibility to give shelter to those who were part of Akhand Bharat and suffered religious persecution,” he replied.

“Akhand Bharat” refers to a united greater India spanning modern-day India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives. The CAA promises to provide citizenship to persecuted minorities who fled to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh before December 31, 2014.

Where did the persecuted go?

Providing some figures, Shah said 23 per cent of Pakistan’s population was Hindu at the time of Partition, which is now down to 3.7 per cent. “Where did they go? That many people did not come here. There were forced conversions; they were humiliated, treated as second-class citizens. Where will they go? Shouldn’t our Parliament and political parties take a decision on this,” he remarked.

Similarly, in Bangladesh, Hindus accounted for 22 per cent of the population in 1951. “In 2011, the figure reduced to 10 per cent. Where did they go? Afghanistan had about 2 lakh Sikhs and Hindus in 1992. Now, 500 are left. Don’t they have the right to live according to their (religious) beliefs? When Bharat was one, they were ours. They are our brothers and sisters and mothers,” he said.

Muslims can apply for citizenship

But what about persecuted Muslim communities such as Shia, Baloch, and Ahmadiyya? “Globally, they are considered a Muslim bloc. But then, even Muslims can apply for citizenship in India. The Constitution has a provision for that too. They can apply, and the Indian government will take a decision, keeping national security and other factors in mind,” said Shah.

He emphasized that the CAA is a “special Act” for persecuted minorities from the three countries who crossed the border without any valid document.

But then, there are many who have no documents at all, while the CAA application requires one to produce certain papers. “We will find a solution for those who do not have documents. But my estimates say that more than 85 per cent of them have documents,” Shah asserted.