Indian American groups acclaim long-overdue Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

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The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), implemented in India on Monday, has garnered positive responses from Hindu American groups, who believe it addresses a long-overdue need. They draw parallels between the CAA and the Lautenberg Amendment in the United States, asserting that both provide a clear immigration path for religious refugees. The CAA, passed in December 2019, allows the Indian government to grant citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who faced religious persecution before December 31, 2014.

Suhag Shukla, the executive director of the Hindu American Foundation (HAF), applauds the CAA as a necessary measure that protects vulnerable refugees, granting them human rights denied in their home countries. She emphasizes that the CAA does not alter the rights of any Indian citizen and does not establish a religious test for general immigration, nor does it exclude Muslims from immigrating to India.

Shukla points out the resemblance between the CAA and the Lautenberg Amendment in the US, in effect since 1990, which provides a clear immigration path for individuals fleeing nations with rampant religious persecution. She expresses pride in both the US and India, as the oldest and largest secular democracies, offering hope and a new life to those who have suffered human rights violations due to their religion.

Pushpita Prasad from the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) describes the CAA as a significant win for persecuted religious minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. She clarifies that the CAA has no impact on existing Indian citizens and fast-tracks citizenship for approximately 31,000 religious minorities who fled these countries due to extreme and systemic persecution.

Prasad highlights the dire situation in countries like Pakistan, where minority girls are kidnapped, forcibly converted, and married to their abductors with support from authorities. CoHNA ran an education and advocacy campaign in 2020 to counter misinformation about the CAA and urges residents of the US and Canada to educate themselves to prevent the spread of false information.

African-American singer Mary Millben commends the CAA as a pathway towards peace and religious freedom. She expresses gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and the Indian government for their compassionate leadership in welcoming persecuted non-Muslim migrants.

On the other hand, the Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC) condemns and expresses serious concerns over the CAA, describing it as discriminatory. IAMC President Mohammed Jawad claims that the law is designed to discriminate against and disenfranchise Indian Muslims, particularly when considered alongside the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens.

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