By Matters India Reporter
New Delhi, December 9, 2019: The controversial ‘Citizenship Amendment Bill’ (CAB), 2019 which was tabled by federal Home Minister Amit Shah in Parliament on December 9 is “another nail in the coffin of India’s Constitution and democratic framework,” says Jesuit Father Cedric Prakash, a human rights activist.
According to him, “Together with ‘The National Register of Citizenship (NRC)’ it is a blatant negation of the human rights of a citizen. The CAB whilst assuring citizenship to all undocumented persons except those of the Muslim faith, risks tearing the country apart, reopening the wounds of partition, and ultimately destroying the secular and democratic tenets of the Constitution.”
“In all likelihood, Christians in the North East and other parts of India will also be affected,” he said.
A few days ago campaigning in Jharkhand, Shah said that “2024 is the deadline for completing the National Register of Citizenship across the country,” the priest recalled.
“This is an extremely dangerous step and the country today stands at the brink of catastrophic human suffering and injustice, if the government as it plans to do, begin implementing it nation-wide. Already millions of people all over the country are protesting against it,” said Father Prakash.
The CAB seeks to amend a six-decade-old law to make it easier for non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to become Indian citizens.