Since its implementation in March 2024, a little less than 400 migrants have been granted citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), according to sources. However, the process is expected to gain substantial momentum in Bengal, with Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's announcement of enforcement of the Act that aims to grant citizenship rights to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan.
Previous Opposition and New Enforcement
The CAA faced considerable pushback from the previous state government, with then-Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee protesting its implementation. As the state government's stance changes with a new party in office, the focus of the CAA in the country shifts heavily to Bengal, home to an estimated 30 million members of the Matua community. These are mostly Namasudra and Dalit refugees who migrated during the Partition and the 1971 Liberation War. For decades, this population has faced ambiguities over citizenship, making Bengal the primary political and logistical battleground for CAA execution.
New Application Guidelines
Under new guidelines released by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, applicants must apply via an online portal and declare the status of their foreign passports. Those holding active or expired foreign passports must provide identification numbers and pledge to surrender the documents to local postal authorities within 15 days of obtaining Indian nationality. The CAA altered India's 1955 Citizenship Act by slashing the residency requirement for naturalisation to just five years for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. It specifically excludes Muslim migrants, a flashpoint that triggered intense national debate.
Impact on Bengal
The enforcement of the CAA in Bengal is expected to benefit a large number of refugees who have been living in legal uncertainty for generations. The Matua community, in particular, has long awaited a resolution to their citizenship status. With the new government's proactive stance, the process is likely to accelerate, potentially setting a precedent for other states with similar refugee populations.
