New Delhi: The NDA government at the Centre is preparing a bill to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to grant citizenship to migrants who have fled religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
There are nearly two lakhs Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan presently living in India, according to a rough estimate.The migrants include Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Zoroastrians, Sikhs and Jains. The cut-off date proposed for granting citizenship to people fleeing religious persecution is December 31, 2014.
Sources said, there will be two routes for granting citizenship. One, citizenship by registration, that requires a minimum stay of seven years, and Two, citizenship by naturalisation, that requires a minimum stay of 12 years.
Many of the migrants do not have either valid documents or their visas have expired. Legally, they are considered illegal migrants and ineligible for citizenship, but the Centre is mulling over granting them citizenship too, considering BJP’s oft-declared policy of India being “a natural home for persecuted Hindus”.
During his Lok Sabha poll campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to grant citizenship to all those persecuted on grounds of religion in neighbouring countries.
New Delhi: The NDA government at the Centre is preparing a bill to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to grant citizenship to migrants who have fled religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.
There are nearly two lakhs Hindu and Sikh refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan presently living in India, according to a rough estimate.
The migrants include Hindus, Buddhists, Christians, Zoroastrians, Sikhs and Jains. The cut-off date proposed for granting citizenship to people fleeing religious persecution is December 31, 2014.
Sources said, there will be two routes for granting citizenship. One, citizenship by registration, that requires a minimum stay of seven years, and Two, citizenship by naturalisation, that requires a minimum stay of 12 years.
Many of the migrants do not have either valid documents or their visas have expired. Legally, they are considered illegal migrants and ineligible for citizenship, but the Centre is mulling over granting them citizenship too, considering BJP’s oft-declared policy of India being “a natural home for persecuted Hindus”.
During his Lok Sabha poll campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised to grant citizenship to all those persecuted on grounds of religion in neighbouring countries. – India TV via Google News
