Hindus for Human Rights, an organization dedicated to upholding human rights and promoting religious and communal harmony, urges the Indian government to withdraw the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and uphold its constitutional duty to respect the rights of all individuals, regardless of their faith.

On paper, the CAA aims to fast-track citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. Although the law’s proponents have attempted to frame it as a neutral policy aimed at protecting the rights of persecuted religious minorities from India’s neighboring countries, we join countless scholars, human rights activists, and other experts in India and around the world in sounding the alarm about its discriminatory nature and implications. While we recognize the importance of protecting individuals facing religious persecution, the selective nature of CAA, which explicitly excludes Muslims, is troubling. Moreover, the CAA’s explicit exclusion of South Asian minorities most acutely affected by religious persecution, such as Sri Lankan Tamil Hindus and Pakistani Ahmadiyyas, reveals the bad-faith Islamophobia at the heart of this policy. Moreover, this policy implies that Muslim immigrants, such as Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees who have fled genocide, are not worthy of justice, because they come from majority communities.

Additionally, we remain worried about the potential coupling of the CAA with the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), which would further disenfranchise India’s large Muslim population. As the 2019 disenfranchisement of nearly 2 million people in the northeastern state of Assam highlights, the CAA and NRC’s draconian requirements place the burden on India’s most marginalized populations to prove their citizenship and belonging in a country that claims to be the ‘world’s largest democracy.’ This approach could potentially lead to a humanitarian crisis, with millions of people across India put at risk of statelessness.

Moreover, ahead of India’s Lok Sabha elections, the implementation of the CAA, in coordination with concerted attempts to restrict voting rights, may disenfranchise millions of Indian Muslim voters. In February, the West Bengal government reported that the Indian government suspended many residents’ Aadhar cards, an government-issued identity card that Indians use to access welfare benefits and even link to their voting ID. Under the CAA, many of these Indians may have to prove their citizenship, and may not be able to vote.

Hindus for Human Rights stands in solidarity with all communities who seek refuge from persecution. We advocate for a more inclusive approach to asylum and citizenship, one that aligns with the rich and diverse ethos of India and respects the country's constitutional commitment to secularism and equality before the law.

India, as the world's largest democracy, has the moral responsibility to set an example in upholding the principles of diversity, tolerance, and human rights. Let us work together towards a future where every individual's rights are respected, and no one is discriminated against on the basis of their religion.

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For Press inquiries or further information please contact: David Kalal, Communications Dept., Hindus for Humarn rights at david@hindusforhumanrights.org

Statement from Hindus for Human Rights on the Implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

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