SRINAGAR, India – The Indian government has announced the implementation of a controversial citizenship law that critics say stigmatizes Muslims and denies them the same rights given to other religious groups. The timing of this announcement, just months before national elections, is seen as a political calculation. The law, which was adopted by Parliament in December 2019 but never implemented, sparked a protest movement that lasted for three months and resulted in violent anti-Muslim attacks in north Delhi.
On March 11, Home Minister Amit Shah announced that he was notifying the rules for implementing the law, which aims to regularize refugees from neighboring Muslim-majority countries who entered India before the end of 2014. The law grants citizenship to religious minorities such as Hindus, Parsis, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians, but excludes Muslims. Critics argue that this religious criterion goes against the principles of the country’s secular constitution.
Muslim organizations have challenged the law’s constitutionality in the Supreme Court, arguing that it violates Article 14 of the Basic Law, which guarantees equality before the law. There are concerns that the government may also create a national register of citizens, similar to what has been done in Assam, to target Muslims and identify illegal immigrants.
Under the new law, applicants will be able to carry out all procedures online and will not need to provide a valid passport or visa. Simply proving that one’s parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents were originally from one of the designated countries will be enough to prove citizenship. The exact number of migrants affected by the law is unknown, as many have been living in India either illegally or on long-term visas.
The implementation of this citizenship law reflects a significant shift in India’s history, as it introduces a religious criterion for the first time in granting nationality. Opponents argue that it marginalizes the country’s Muslim population and goes against the principles of the Constitution.
The Supreme Court has yet to make a decision on the constitutionality of the law, and tensions remain high as protests continue across the country. Critics fear that the citizenship law will further deepen divisions and discrimination against Muslims in India. The impact of this controversial policy will continue to be a major issue in the lead-up to the national elections.