The CAA was implemented on 11 March / Lok Sabha

Several prominent Indian American religious organizations have issued statements in response to the decision by the Modi-led government to implement the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which was passed by the Indian Parliament in 2019.

Hindu American Foundation (HAF) executive director Suhag Shukla commented, “India’s Citizenship Amendment Act is long overdue and necessary. It protects some of the most vulnerable refugees in India, granting them the human rights they were denied in their home country, and the clear and expedited path to citizenship needed for them to begin rebuilding their lives.”

“CAA mirrors the long-established Lautenberg Amendment in the US, in place since 1990, which has provided a clear immigration path for persons fleeing a select group of nations where religious persecution is rampant,” Shukla said in a statement. “I’m proud to see both the oldest and largest secular democracies in the world —  the US and India — be a beacon of hope by extending a pathway to freedom and a new life to those who have suffered gross human rights violations simply because of their religion.”

The HAF emphasized that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) does not change the rights of any Indian citizen, nor does it introduce a religious test for general immigration or exclude Muslims from immigrating to India, contrary to some misconceptions and reports.

The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA), a grassroots advocacy group representing the Hindu community of North America, welcomed the move. “A big win for #HumanRights for the persecuted religious #minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. India finally notifies the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which was passed by the Indian Parliament in 2019!” the organization said in a post on X. 

“#CAA has NO impact on existing Indian citizens of any faith. It simply fast-tracks the Indian citizenship process for approximately 31,000 religious minorities who fled Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan in the face of extreme and systemic persecution,” CoHNA emphasized in the post. 

A big win for #HumanRights for the persecuted religious #minorities of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. India finally notifies the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) which was passed by the Indian Parliament in 2019!

A reminder - #CAA has NO impact on existing Indian citizens… pic.twitter.com/QecebYMGH3

— CoHNA (Coalition of Hindus of North America) (@CoHNAOfficial) March 11, 2024

The Indian American Muslim Council, on the other hand, criticized the move calling it the “anti-Muslim citizenship law.”  “The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), the largest advocacy organization representing diaspora Indian Muslims in the United States, vehemently condemns and expresses serious concerns over the announcement by the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi government to implement the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA),” IAMC said in a statement. 

The implementation of the citizenship law comes nearly four years after its initial passage in the Indian parliament, which triggered widespread protests across the nation and among diaspora communities worldwide, the IAMC noted. The Indian government's forceful response to these demonstrations resulted in the deaths of numerous Muslims and left hundreds injured during a harsh crackdown by law enforcement authorities, it added. 

“Aligned with human rights organizations globally, IAMC is deeply concerned that this law, when coupled with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), poses a grave threat to the rights of over 200 million Indian Muslims, potentially resulting in the stripping of citizenship from those lacking decades-old documentation,” it further added. 

“The law is a flagrant manifestation of discriminatory intent, designed with the explicit purpose of discriminating, dispossessing, and disenfranchising Indian Muslims. Its insidious aim becomes glaringly apparent when considered alongside the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens,” said Mohammed Jawad, IAMC president.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has repeatedly cautioned that the CAA "could expose Muslims, specifically, to statelessness, deportation, and prolonged detention." The IAMC also said that the Human Rights Watch described the law as "creating legal frameworks to deny millions of Muslims their basic right to equal access to citizenship."

Mary Millben, an American singer and actress, lauded the move in a post on X. “As a Christian, woman of faith, and global advocate for religious freedom, I applaud the Modi-led government announcing today the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act now granting Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, and Parsis from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan,” she said. 

“This is a pathway towards peace. This is a true act of democracy.”

As a Christian, woman of faith, and global advocate for religious freedom, I applaud the Modi-led government announcing today the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act now granting Indian nationality… pic.twitter.com/72Bmb6pX0c

— Mary Millben (@MaryMillben) March 11, 2024

What is the CAA? 

On Mar. 11, the Union Home Ministry officially issued the rules for the implementation of the CAA. The CAA aims to provide Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants, including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before Dec. 31, 2014.

CAA does not apply to Indian citizens. Its main purpose is to grant Indian citizenship to specific foreign nationals who have faced religious persecution in neighboring countries due to their faith. The legislation applies to those "forced or compelled to seek shelter in India due to persecution on the ground of religion."

The CAA excludes regions under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution and areas covered by the Inner Line Permit system. This exclusion aims to protect the interests of tribal and indigenous communities in the North-Eastern region. Individuals residing in these specified areas are not eligible to apply for Indian citizenship under the CAA.