Citizenship Amendment Act

There have been large demonstrations across the country both for and against the Citizenship Amendment Act which was passed last month. The act is said to be discriminatory by some, but is welcomed by others, yet many on either side are unaware of the complete details.

The Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 amends the Citizenship Act of 1955 by providing a path to Indian citizenship for the religious minorities, namely Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who faced "persecution or fear of persecution" in their countries and entered India on or before 31 December 2014. The act also relaxes the residence requirement for the naturalisation of these migrants from 11 years to 5 years.

This is not the first time the act has been amended. In 1986, it was amended so that only children that had at least one parent that was an Indian citizen could qualify for citizenship. In 2003, it was amended so that no parents of a child could be an illegal immigrant for thee child to qualify for citizenship. It also stated that illegal immigrants were not eligible for acquiring citizenship by registration or naturalisation.

The immediate beneficiaries of the act, which was passed in the Rajya Sabha on 11 December 2019, are 31313 refugees- 25,447 Hindus, 5,807 Sikhs, 55 Christians, 2 Buddhists and 2 Parsis. The act is the first in India to use religion as a criteria for citizenship. On the question of the exclusion of Muslims from the act, the Indian government says that since Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and Muslim majority countries, they are unlikely to face religious persecution there. However, particular Muslim groups such as Ahmedis and Hazaras have long faced persecution in these countries. The act also doesn’t touch on Rohingya Muslims, and Hindu and Christian Tamils in Sri Lanka.

The act doesn’t apply to autonomous tribal-dominated regions in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram. The act also doesn’t apply to states that have the inner-line permit regime - Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Mizoram. The state of Assam has seen intense outrage against the act, as there is a fear that illegal Bengali Hindu migrants from Bangladesh, if regularised under the act, will threaten the state’s culture.

While some states have announced that they will not implement the act, the Union Home Ministry has said that states do not have the power to do so.


Everyone is ignorant in some way or the other; it is impossible to know everything about everything. What we can do though, is to listen to those around us, not just those that fit into ideals, but also those that don't, and then, after being adequately informed, form an opinion. Hopefully, this blog has helped you see the situation surrounding the Citizenship Amendment Act more clearly. Let's work towards a more peaceful and united future.