Bengal: How a BJP minister landed in a soup trying to allay Matuas’ CAA fears

Is a Union minister in the BJP government a foreigner, an illegal migrant?

This question has been doing the rounds in election-bound West Bengal ever since a BJP Union minister volunteered to stick his neck out to dispel concerns among the state’s migrant Hindus over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur announced that he would apply for Indian nationality under the new citizenship law to “clear the air” about the contentious legislation.

Thakur’s claim

The bizarre claim by Thakur — the tallest BJP leader in the state from the Matua community — could nullify his re-nomination by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from the Bangaon seat in West Bengal, legal experts say.

The junior minister, expectedly, is yet to walk the talk even as his party is struggling to clear the CAA mess it has created in a bid to woo the migrant Matua community that was rooting for the law.

The same community is now turning against the BJP for making the process to grant them citizenship so complicated.

Matuas upset

Not a single person from Bengal has so far applied for the citizenship under the CAA through a portal created for the purpose, sources in the Matua community have told The Federal.

The growing anxiety became more apparent when a young man in his early 30s died by suicide on Thursday due to what his bereaved family members said was the fear of going to a “detention camp”.

The unemployed youth, whose family migrated from Bangladesh, had been suffering from panic attacks eversince the CAA rules were notified, his relatives claimed.

Worried Centre

The All India Matua Mahasangha, an influential organisation known for its affinity with the BJP, has even issued an advisory asking its members not to apply for citizenship until the CAA rules were “rectified”.

The BJP government at the Centre was taken so aback by the despair and anger that Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials reportedly made telephone calls to some Matua leaders in the state to ascertain what was wrong.

A senior IB official wanted to know why none from Bengal had applied for citizenship under the CAA, a Matua leader who got a call told The Federal.

Rules tweaking?

“Speaking to the official, I got an impression that the Centre might tweak the rules to simplify the process of granting citizenship,” he said.

A section of state BJP leaders The Federal spoke to claim that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his next electioneering visit to the state, may give an assurance in this regard.

The home ministry on March 11 notified the Citizenship Amendment Rules, 2024 to implement the CAA passed by parliament more than four years ago.

Election ploy

The BJP hoped that the much-awaited roll-out just days ahead of the announcement of Lok Sabha elections would be a political game-changer in Bengal.

The Matua community in West Bengal has for long been demanding the implementation of the CAA to grant them Indian citizenship.

Most members of this Hindu Dalit community migrated from Bangladesh and currently form an influential vote bank in Nadia, North 24-Parganas, East Burdwan, and Malda districts, among others.

Lacking proof

Though most members could put themselves in the electoral roll and possess Aadhaar and ration cards and even land documents, their Indian citizenship is under question for not being born in India and migrating to this country without any valid travel document.

The BJP had sold the nascent law as a permanent solution to their citizenship dilemma. But soon, the community realised that getting citizenship through the CAA would be difficult.

As The Federal had reported earlier, to get citizenship under the CAA, a migrant will have to first submit an affidavit proclaiming himself/herself as an illegal settler in India and then have to furnish documents that would establish that he or she was once a resident of Bangladesh, Pakistan, or Afghanistan.

Legal complications

Most of the migrants do not hold any document to establish that they were once residents of the three countries mentioned above.

The new rules are also silent on what would be the status of those applicants whose citizenship application would be rejected.

Legal experts say they would become stateless citizens.

Community fears

“Once a person declares himself/herself as an illegal migrant through an affidavit, and until the citizenship is granted, he or she will not be entitled to certain entitlements exclusively meant for Indian citizens, such as the right to vote,” explained Sishir Dey, a senior lawyer and a former member of a Foreigners Tribunal.

Such possible complications have led to the apprehension among the community, prompting the Sangha to move the Centre, urging it to do away with certain clauses, such as the one that seeks proof of residence in the neighbouring countries. It wants “unconditional citizenship” to the community.

TMC charge

Thakur’s assertion that he would himself seek citizenship under the CAA, though he is a bona-fide Indian national born in India, further shows the party’s desperation.

The TMC says the claim is another political gimmick by the BJP.

“I dare him to apply for citizenship through the CAA portal (launched to receive online applications). To do so, he will first have to declare himself as a foreign national and that will obviously lead to the question of how Modi had made a foreigner his ministerial colleague,” pointed out TMC leader Mamatabala Thakur, who is also the BJP MP's aunt.

Legal nuances

Lawyer Dey said if Thakur applies for the citizenship, his nomination can be challenged, as a foreigner is not supposed to be enrolled as a voter, let alone contest elections.

But then, election is a crunch time when political compulsion gets the better of legal nuances.