What is the issue?
- The controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, is not likely to be tabled in Parliament in the upcoming monsoon session.
- It has been stated that the “Joint Parliamentary Committee” would examine it further and holding wider consultations.
What is the bill mainly about?
- What - The Bill’s argues that the aim is to help persons of Indian origin, who are facing persecution in the neighbourhood.
- It seeks to make it easy for illegal migrants (in India) from minority communities of 3 neighbouring countries to gain Indian citizenship.
- Consequently, “Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Christians and Parsis” who’ve arrived from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan stand to benefit.
- Significantly, Muslims aren’t covered as they form the majority in these countries (even persecuted minority Muslim sects aren’t covered).
- Technicalities - Under the present law, citizenship by naturalisation requires applicants to have stayed in the country for 11 years of the previous 14 years.
- The proposed amendment reduces the residency requirement to six years, apart from one full year of residency preceding citizenship approval.
Why are some opposing the bill?
- Assam has been witnessing strong protests against the bill, as natives fear that non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh might get citizenship.
- Once the migrants are granted citizenship, their political clout in Assam’s politics will grow drastically, which might undermine the natives.
- The fear is mainly rooted in the sheer number of illegal migrants that are already residing in Assam’s Barak Valley.
- Significantly, the ongoing exercise for updating of “National Citizen’s Registry” (NCR) with its cut off date as March 24th 1971, runs contrary to the bill.
- The NCR exercise is a direct consequence of the “Assam Accord”, and is intended to identify illegal migrants from Bangladesh.
Quick Facts:
Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC):
- JPCs are ad-hoc parliamentary committees which are usually formed when a motion for it is adopted by one house and supported by the other house.
- Notably, presiding officers of both houses can also discuss and form JPCs, even without house resolutions.
- Significantly, Lok Sabha is always contributes 2/3rd members and Rajya Sabha contributes the rest 1/3rd.
- JPCs are constituted for specific purposes and they can hear from experts, public bodies, associations, individuals or interested parties to fulfil their task.
- Thus far, JPCs have been constituted for Bofors Scam, 1992 Stock Market Scam, 2G Scam, Soft Drink Pesticide Issue etc...
Source: The Hindu
