Two more people of Bangladeshi origin have got Indian citizenship under CAA in Assam. For the first time, a woman was made a citizen under this law. The Home Ministry issued the certificates, which has triggered a new debate on the ground impact of CAA in the state.
Guwahati. Once again big news has come to light regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Assam. Two people who came from Bangladesh have now got Indian citizenship, the most important thing of which is that for the first time a woman has been given citizenship in Assam under CAA. This decision has come at a time when there has been debate and protest regarding CAA in the state for a long time.
Why is citizenship being considered important for the first woman under CAA?
According to senior advocate Dharmanand Deb, this is the first case in Assam in which a woman has got citizenship under CAA through the registration process. Before this, no woman in the state had been made a citizen under this law, hence this case is being considered historical.
How did the woman come to India and why did she stay here?
This 40 year old woman is a resident of Chittagong, Bangladesh. She came to Silchar Medical College for treatment along with her family member in the year 2007. During treatment, she met a young man from Sribhoomi, both of them got married and had a son. After this the woman settled here.
Why was the application rejected the first time?
The woman had applied for citizenship after the implementation of the CAA rules, but the first application submitted in July 2024 was rejected due to the delimitation exercise. The jurisdiction of Badarpur area had changed, due to which it was not clear in which district the case would fall.
What changed in re-application?
The lawyer prepared all the documents again and filed the case. This time the application was considered correct and the Home Ministry issued the citizenship certificate. The special thing is that citizenship will be considered effective from the date on which the woman came to India.
How did the second person get citizenship?
The second beneficiary is a 61-year-old male, who came to India in 1975 from Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh. He was just 11 years old then. He married in India, started a family and has now got citizenship through the naturalization process.
How many people have got citizenship through CAA in Assam so far?
After these two cases, the number of people getting citizenship under CAA in Assam has increased to four. Although about 40 people applied in the last one year, many cases were rejected and many are still pending.
What are those opposing CAA saying now?
After the implementation of CAA in 2019, there were large-scale protests in Assam, in which five people also died. Even today, about two lakh people in the state are considered doubtful citizens, but very few people are applying under CAA.
How will the situation change going forward?
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma says that most of the Hindu migrants had come to Assam even before 1971. In such a situation, it will be interesting to see in the coming times whether the impact of CAA increases gradually or remains limited. The first woman in Assam getting citizenship under CAA is not only a legal decision, but it also shows that this law is now being implemented on the ground as well. However, due to opposition, fear and social pressure, many people are still not able to come forward.