Indian Citizenship is given to the one who has lived in the country for eleven years or more. But will be reduced to a mere six years for some minorities.
The Citizenship amendment bill, 2019 is to making of six minorities that are Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Parsi, and Jain who entered India from nearby countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, as Indian citizens. The bill has been proposed in Lok Sabha on 09/12/3019, though it was approved by the union cabinet minister on 4/012/2019. The bill is proposed so as to save migrants from illegal procedures they follow. It is mentioned in the bill that, if a migrant has entered India on or before 31, December 2014, he is eligible for citizenship. The bill has already passed in Lok Sabha.
According to the prominent BJP leaders, it is important to introduce such a bill into the legislature for the minorities living in neighboring countries, who have to face “persecutions” and are forced to migrate to India. It will make some required changes in the Citizenship Act, 1955. The bill will not be applied to tribal dominant regions like Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram as they come under the sixth schedule of the Constitution.
Without having any proof of birth, that is to say, birth certificate, the migrant must have to stay for 6 long years in the country, in order to make him eligible for the citizenship.
There are leaders from the opposition that are against the bill because it demolishes the fact of being an Indian. The nationality is under cries. They say it is against article 14 of the Constitution i.e. right to equality, claiming it to be anti-minority. They are against the Indian citizenship to be given to illegal migrants, who have entered without documents and have been staying for a longer period of time. The bill could be used as a threat to the nation.
Now it is only up to the opposition to pass the bill because BJP surely does not enjoy a majority in the upper court.
