Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 Passed - President Gives

the Green Signal!

After the Rajya Sabha clearing the furiously debated topic, the Citizenship Amendment Bill
2019 is finally cleared by 125-99 votes. This bill will be amending the definition of Hindu,
Parsi, Christian, Sikh and Parsi illegal immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan,
who have been residing in India without legal documentation. According to the bill these
citizens will be given fast-track Indian citizenship within six years. By now, the standard
eligibility criteria for naturalisation was atleast 12 years of residence. In this article, we will be
discussing the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, its highlights, key issues with this Bill,
Citizenship Act, 1995 and more.

Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019

• The Bill redefines the category of illegal migrants by making the amendments to not
consider Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Buddhists & Christians from Afghanistan, Pakistan
& Bangladesh as illegal immigrants.
• It amends the Citizenship Act of 1995, allowing illegal Non-Muslim migrants including
Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Parsis, Buddhists & Christians from Bangladesh, Afghanistan &
Pakistan the eligibility for Indian Citizenship.
• The Bill also relaxes the Citizenship by Naturalisation by reducing the residential stay
period from 12 years to 6 years, for the people belonging to the same six religions and
three countries.

Highlights of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019

• The Bill provides citizenship to any individual who has been a residence of India for six
years but does not possess proper documents to validate the authenticity of his/her
citizenship.
• For the Overseas Citizens of India, the Bill provides that the registration of such
cardholders may be cancelled in case of violation of any law.

Key Issues of the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016

• The Bill questions the Secular Aspect of the Republic of India as secularism accentuates
on religion not being the aspect to decide an individual's citizenship.
• This Bill violates Assam Accord, 1985, which renounces citizenship to illegal Hindu
migrants from Bangladesh, who entered the state of Assam after March 1971.
• Since the bill issues citizenship to illegal migrants on the grounds of religion, it straight-
up violates Article 14 of the Indian Constitution that says the right to equality must be
practised throughout the country.
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 • The Bill permits to cancel citizenship for Overseas Indian Citizens in case they violate
any law, which includes even a minor offence such as wrong parking.

Protests Against Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019

• Illegal migration has been a sensitive issue in the northeast for a long time.
• The Bill is in violation of the Assam Accord, 1985.
• The unrest is due to the strong-willed citizens of Assam, Tribals and other Ethnic
Communities that emphasize on saving their culture by keeping out the outsiders.

Citizenship Act, 1955

• The original Citizenship Act of 1995 was to regulate who all may be granted Indian
Citizenship and under what circumstances or on what grounds.
• The Indian Citizenship would be granted to an Indian Citizen if they are born in India or
have an Indian Lineage or have resided in the country for a significant time period etc.
• This Act denied citizenship to illegal migrants; illegal migrant being any foreigner who
enters the country without valid documents like passport and visa, or who enters with
legal documents but stay beyond the permitted tenure.