pakistantravelerspk: Indian government, had promised in previous election (public documents that express people's feelings) to offer Indian (living in a country you were born in, or having the same rights in a country as someone who was born there) to abused/mistreated religious minorities from close-by countries.
The (living in a country you were born in, or having the same rights in a country as someone who was born there) (Change) Act, 2019 was passed by the Parliament of India on 11 December 2019. It changed/added to the end the (living in a country you were born in, or having the same rights in a country as someone who was born there) Act of 1955 by providing a path to Indian (living in a country you were born in, or having the same rights in a country as someone who was born there) for Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian religious minorities running (away from) abuse/mistreatment from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Muslims were not given such (ability to be picked/ability to participate). The act was the first time religion had been openly/obviously used as a judging requirement for (living in a country you were born in, or having the same rights in a country as someone who was born there) under Indian law.
The Hindu (related to the belief that your country is the best) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the Indian government, had promised in previous election (public documents that express people's feelings) to offer Indian (living in a country you were born in, or having the same rights in a country as someone who was born there) to abused/mistreated religious minorities from close-by countries. Under the 2019 change, traveling workers who had entered India by 31 December 2014, and had suffered "religious abuse/mistreatment or fear of religious abuse/mistreatment" in their country of origin were made (able to be picked/able to participate) for (living in a country you were born in, or having the same rights in a country as someone who was born there). The change also relaxed the residence needed thing for (introduction into nature/making a citizen) of these traveling workers from eleven years to five.Immediate (people who receive something valuable) of the Bill, according to the Intelligence Bureau of India, will be 31,313 (people who have run away from their own countries because of bad treatment): 25,447 Hindus, 5,807 Sikhs, 55 Christians, 2 Buddhists and 2 Parsis.The change has been widely criticised as discriminating on the basis of religion, in particular for leaving out/keeping out Muslims. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights called it "basically (treating certain groups of people unfairly)", adding that while India's "goal of protecting abused/mistreated groups is welcome", this should be completed through a non-(treating certain groups of people unfairly) "strong and healthy national safety/mental hospital system".Critics express concerns that the bill would be used, along with the National Register of People (who lawfully live in a country, state, etc.), to make/give Muslim people (who lawfully live in a country, state, etc.) stateless. (people who give their opinions) also question the (when something is kept out or not included) of abused/mistreated religious minorities from other areas such as Tibet, Sri Skinnya and Myanmar.
The Indian government says that Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh are Muslim-majority countries therefore Muslims are "unlikely to face religious abuse/mistreatment" there. However, certain Muslim groups, such as Hazaras and Ahmadis, have (in the past) faced abuse/mistreatment in these countries.The passage of the laws (and law making) caused large-scale protests in India. Assam and other northeastern states have seen violent (events where people join in public to show a strong opinion about something) against the bill over fears that granting Indian (living in a country you were born in, or having the same rights in a country as someone who was born there) to (people who have run away from their own countries because of bad treatment) and people (who enter a country) will cause a loss of their "political rights, culture and land rights" and (give a reason to do something) further moving (from one place to another) from Bangladesh. In other parts of India, protesters said the bill unfairly treated Muslims and demanded that Indian (living in a country you were born in, or having the same rights in a country as someone who was born there) be granted to Muslim (people who have run away from their own countries because of bad treatment) and people (who enter a country). Major protests against the Act were held at universities in India. Students at Aligarh Muslim University and Jamia Millia Islamia accused (of a crime) violent/difficult stopping/ preventing (actions or feelings) by the police. The protests have led to the deaths of (more than two, but not a lot of) protesters, injuries to protesters and police personnel, damage to public and private property, the detention of thousands of people, and suspensions of local internet mobile phone connectivity in certain areas. Some states have announced they will not put into use the Act. The Union Home Ministry has said that states lack the legal power to stop the (putting into) use of the CAA.
Indian Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019
- The Citizenship (Amendment) Act of 2019 amended the Citizenship Act, 1955, by inserting the following provisos in section 2, sub-section (1), after clause (b):
- "Provided that any person belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian community from Afghanistan, Bangladesh or Pakistan, who entered into India on or before the 31st day of December, 2014 and who has been exempted by the Central Government by or under clause (c) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 or from the application of the provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946 or any rule or order made thereunder, shall not be treated as illegal migrant for the purposes of this Act;"
- A new section, 6B, was inserted, providing further that:
- on and from the date of commencement of the [Act], any person referred to in the first proviso shall be eligible to apply for naturalisation and any proceeding pending against such person in respect of illegal migration or citizenship shall stand abated on conferment of citizenship to him.
- The "exempted" classes of persons were previously defined in the Foreigners (Amendment) Order, 2015, (issued under the Foreigners Act, 1946):
- 3A. Exemption of certain class of foreigners. – (1) Persons belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh and Pakistan, namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who were compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution or fear of religious persecution and entered into India on or before the 31st December, 2014(a) without valid documents including passport or other travel documents and who have been exempted under rule 4 from the provisions of rule 3 of the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950 [...]; or(b) with valid documents including passport or other travel document and the validity of any of such documents has expired,
- are hereby granted exemption from the application of provisions of the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the orders made thereunder in respect of their stay in India without such documents or after the expiry of those documents, as the case may be from the date of publication of this order in the Official Gazette.