EAM S Jaishankar gives ‘befitting reply’ to US Ambassador Eric Garcetti’s criticism of the CAA

The External Affairs Minister of India, Subramaniam Jaishankar, rejected the United States criticism of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) stating that remarks were made without understanding the historical context of the law. He said that the CAA was brought to address the problem of partition and the world is reacting as if partition never happened.

Speaking at a media conclave, when referring to the US Ambassador’s comments, that principles of freedom and equality are prime in a democracy, the Foreign Minister said, “I am not questioning the imperfections of a democracy, their principles or their lack of it. I am questioning their understanding of history.”

“If you hear the comments made from many parts of the world, it is as if the partition of India never happened, and there were no consequential problems which the CAA is supposed to address,” he said. “If you take out a problem, and remove all the historical contexts, sanitise it, and make it into a politically correct argument and say oh I have my principles and you don’t have principles,” the minister said.

The US Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, speaking at a media conclave on March 15, 2024, said that the United States can’t give up on its principles and the principles of religious freedom and equality are a cornerstone of democracy. He added that the US is closely monitoring and concerned about the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Furter commenting on these remarks, Jaishankar said, “I have principles too and one of those principles is an obligation to the people let down during partition.” The minister also alleged that countries criticising India are holding up a mirror to their policies.

“If you are saying you are picking some faiths and no other faiths, the I will give you many examples from across the world, Jaishankar said and mentioned the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, Lautenberg Amendment, Spector Amendment and so on, that fast tracked citizenships for specific ethnic minorities like Christians and Jews.

“If you ask other countries fast tracked citizenships based on ethnicity, faith and social attributes, I can give you many examples,” he said. Further, he added, when something of a very major scale happens, then it is not possible to deal with all consequences right then and there.”

The leadership of this country had promised to its minorities that if you have a problem, then you are welcome to come to India. The leadership did not thereafter deliver the promises. “It is just not our predicament, the minister added. Understanding the context is very important.”

On March 12, 2024, the central government announced the contentious CAA to grant citizenship of to undocumented non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, who came to India before December 31, 2014.