Home Ministry skips CAA mention in annual report

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 8

The annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs, which usually carries the compilation of all the achievements and functions of the ministry, has curiously omitted mention of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in its latest version for the year 2021-22.

The legislation passed in 2019 with an aim to fast-track citizenship to six minority communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, who entered India before December 31, 2014, is yet to be implemented as the rules under the law have not been framed. The MHA’s 2020-21 report had said the CAA was a “compassionate and ameliorative legislation”, which did not apply to Indian citizens. “Therefore, it does not in any way take away or abridge the rights of any Indian citizen.”

After the CAA was passed, there were apprehensions that if and when a country-wide NRC is done, non-Muslims excluded from the proposed citizens’ register will benefit while excluded Muslims will have to prove their citizenship.

The government, however, has claimed that CAA and NRC are no way linked to each other.

In the Covid-hit year of 2021, from April-December, as many as 1,414 citizenship certificates were granted to members of non-Muslim communities from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, the report said. The report said the Central government delegated its powers to grant Indian citizenship by registration or naturalisation with respect of foreigners belonging to Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian or Parsi communities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who entered India on valid passport and visa to collectors of 29 districts and home Secretaries of nine states.

“The delegation (of powers) will speed up the process of granting Indian citizenship to these categories of migrants as the decision will be taken at local level,” the report said.