GUWAHATI: The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and its associated regulations, as published by the ministry of home affairs (MHA), are unlikely to provide any advantages to Bengali Hindus or linguistic minority groups residing in Assam.
Instead, CAA risks damaging the longstanding camaraderie between Assamese and Bengalis, according to Shantanu Mukherjee, a linguistic minority leader and the working president of the Bharatiya Gana Parishad (BGP), in an exclusive interview with Northeast Now on Wednesday (March 13).
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“The Parliament passed the CAA in December 2019. For the past four years, it has been in limbo, with no rules framed for various reasons such as the COVID-19 pandemic. However, just days before the Lok Sabha elections, the rules were framed and gazetted,” stated Mukherjee.
Mukherjee emphasized that the CAA does not apply to areas in Assam governed by the Sixth Schedule, such as Karbi Anglong and the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
He warned that individuals seeking citizenship under these rules may face dire consequences.
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“Bengali people have coexisted in Assam since the days of the Paul dynasty, dating back to prehistoric times. Most individuals who migrated from Bangladesh to India have already acquired citizenship under the Citizenship Act. Hence, who would need to apply for citizenship under these rules?” questioned Mukherjee.
“Can Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma demonstrate convincingly that the CAA will benefit Bengali Hindus in Assam?” he further questioned.
“If so, why hasn’t he removed more than 2.41 lakh individuals from the D-voter list? People who have resided here for years are also included in the D-voter list,” Mukherjee asserted.
Mukherjee expressed concerns that those seeking citizenship under the rules might inadvertently jeopardize their status as Indian citizens, as they had already been declared citizens under constitutional provisions.
He warned that the CAA could strain the historic bond between Assamese and Bengalis due to emotional ties shared by both communities.
“I am surprised to see individuals who previously criticized the Assam CM for the CAA now supporting him. Such behaviour is shameless,” Mukherjee remarked.
“Even the Congress is engaging in similar politics. Many Congress leaders have joined the BJP. They opposed the CAA initially but now support it. They are all opportunists,” the Bengali leader in Assam added.
“I urge people from both communities not to be swayed by emotions regarding the CAA rules but to critically analyse and make informed decisions. They should refrain from protests that result in damage to public property,” he emphasized.
Mukherjee also noted that there is no provision in the CAA to accommodate over 1.70 crore people from Bangladesh, dismissing such claims as rumours.
He cautioned that the CAA could exacerbate religious and linguistic divides, serving as a tool for electoral gains while sowing seeds of discord among people.
“Can they remove the names of 27 lakh individuals from the NRC list? These individuals have been denied Aadhaar cards, access to government schools, and other benefits due to blocked biometrics,” Mukherjee queried.
The BGP, a regional party representing linguistic minorities in Assam, will contest eight seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections to counter both the ruling BJP and the Congress.
“Both the BJP and Congress are our adversaries. They have betrayed us over the past few years. We placed our last hope in chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, believing he would address our concerns. However, he too has displayed double standards, saying one thing and doing another,” Mukherjee lamented.
“The NRC issue remains unresolved. The exclusion of over 19.6 lakh individuals from the final NRC list, including around 14 lakh Hindus and Bengali Hindus, indicates that it was a ploy to target Bengalis. The BJP, which claims to champion Hindu rights, must first explain how Bengali Hindus were omitted from the list. These figures suggest that Bengalis were the primary targets,” Mukherjee asserted.
“Despite the NRC process being conducted in Assam under the Supreme Court‘s directive, the Aadhaar numbers of citizens who underwent biometric verification at various NRC Seva Kendras remain blocked. Even after the final list’s publication, the Aadhaar numbers/cards of 27 lakh Assam residents remain blocked, rendering them ineligible for government schemes, benefits, and educational admissions,” Mukherjee continued.
“The BJP has also failed to address the issue of D-voters and detention camps. Notices from Foreigners’ Tribunals continue to target Hindu Bengali community members lawfully residing in Assam before January 1, 1966. Similar notices have been issued to those who have lived in the state since 1922, 1932, and 1950,” he concluded.