CAA : Becomes Reality after 4 Years | A Brief Storyline | What, How, Critics, Challenges, Benefits | Politics | India | The Amit Gahlyan

4 Years After Bill Passed on 11 March 2024, Now Citizenship Law CAA Becomes Reality. Down below a Complete brief storyline to read

On December 12, 2019, the Indian Parliament passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, a controversial law that grants citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who entered India before December 31, 2014. The law sparked widespread protests across the country, as many critics saw it as discriminatory and unconstitutional. The government defended the law as a humanitarian gesture to protect persecuted minorities in neighboring countries.

Four years later, the CAA has finally come into effect, after the government notified the rules for its implementation on December 10, 2023. The rules lay down the procedures and criteria for applying for citizenship under the CAA, as well as the authorities and documents required for verification. According to the rules, applicants have to prove that they belong to one of the six specified religious communities (Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi or Christian) and that they have faced religious persecution or fear of such persecution in their country of origin. They also have to provide evidence of their entry and residence in India before the cut-off date of December 31, 2014.

The government has claimed that the CAA will benefit about 31,000 refugees who have already been granted long-term visas in India. However, the actual number of eligible applicants may be much higher, as many refugees do not have valid documents or visas. The government has also assured that the CAA will not affect the existing citizenship rights of any Indian citizen, nor will it alter the secular nature of the Indian Constitution

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The implementation of the CAA has been welcomed by some sections of society, especially those who identify with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ideological affiliates. They have hailed the law as a historic step to fulfill the promise of providing a homeland to persecuted Hindus and other minorities in the subcontinent. They have also accused the opposition parties and civil society groups of spreading misinformation and inciting violence against the law.

On the other hand, the CAA has also faced renewed opposition and criticism from various quarters, including political parties, human rights organizations, student groups, religious leaders and civil society activists. They have argued that the law violates the principle of secularism and equality enshrined in the Indian Constitution, as it excludes Muslims from its ambit. They have also expressed concern that the law may be used to harass and disenfranchise genuine citizens, especially those belonging to marginalized communities such as Dalits, Adivasis and Muslims. They have demanded that the law be repealed or amended to include all refugees irrespective of their religion.

The CAA has also been challenged in several courts across India, including the Supreme Court, which is yet to hear a batch of petitions challenging its constitutional validity. The court had earlier refused to stay the law or its implementation, but had asked the government to respond to the pleas within four weeks. However, due to various reasons, including the COVID-19 pandemic and other pending cases, the court has not taken up the matter for hearing so far.

The CAA has thus become a reality after four years of its passage, but it remains a contentious and divisive issue in India's polity and society. It remains to be seen how it will affect the lives and rights of millions of people in India and its neighboring countries.