The Assam Government has decided to drop all Foreigners Tribunal cases filed against Hindu Bengalis since 1966. This decision was confirmed by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who addressed concerns regarding citizenship cases under the amended Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in a recent press statement.
CM Sarma emphasised that the state government is not arbitrarily dropping cases but encouraging applicants to follow the legal process. He disclosed that only eight individuals have applied for citizenship under the CAA in the last four months, with only two attending their interviews so far.
“When I contacted many Hindu Bengali families about why they have not applied under CAA, they expressed confidence in their Indian citizenship, having entered India prior to 1971. They prefer to prove their citizenship in the court of law rather than applying under CAA,” Sarma explained.
The Chief Minister clarified misconceptions about the dropping of cases against Hindu Bengalis, stating, “This is misleading… we cannot drop any cases. We are only suggesting that before filing a case, applicants should apply through the portal. Even if a case is filed, there will be no result as they are entitled to citizenship.”
He reiterated that the government is not deciding to drop or not drop cases but is merely highlighting the legal provisions. Sarma also mentioned ongoing outreach programs in the Barak Valley to encourage more applications under CAA, despite the low number of applications received so far.
According to an order issued by the home department, Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Parsis, Jains, and Buddhists from Afghanistan, Pakistan, or Bangladesh who entered India on or before December 31, 2014, are eligible to apply for citizenship. Consequently, the border police may not forward their cases to the Foreigners Tribunal. Their citizenship will be determined by the central government based on the facts and circumstances of each case, with a separate register maintained for these cases. This provision does not apply to those who entered India from these countries after December 31, 2014, regardless of their faith.
Sarma stated, “Only two people have applied so far. Anybody who has come to India before 2015 under the CAA has the first right to apply for citizenship. If they don’t apply, we will lodge a case for them. This is a statutory instruction. We will deport those who have come after 2015. Out of five applications, three were not present at the hearing, and only two have applied under the CAA.”
This directive aims to streamline the citizenship process for eligible applicants while ensuring that the legal provisions are followed diligently.
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