Through the said legislation passed in Parliament in 2019 end by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government, overriding widespread agitations, the centre guarantees shelter and citizenship to harassed non Muslim citizens of Indian origin in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, on grounds of religion.

However, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government has not yet been able to take the necessary first step to launch the CAA’s implementation. . This is mainly owing to the flat refusal of states like West Bengal to co-operate with central official agencies.

In 2019-20, massive mob violence erupted in Bengal, Assam and other states in protest against the legislation, involving major losses of government property, vehicles and Railway stocks/assets. Total losses were estimated around Rs 2500 million, mostly in Bengal.

Leading the charge in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) as the locally ruling party declared that it would never implement the law, describing it as ‘a component of the BJPs’ divisive, anti-National, pro Hindutva agenda.’

Along with the Christian-dominated NE states, almost all opposition-run territories had also opposed the new law, alleging that it discriminated against Muslims and ran contrary to the country’s secular polity guaranteed by Constitution. There was much international criticism of the Act in the foreign media as well, mainly from Western countries.

Defending the new law, the Narendra Modi government maintains that Muslims living in Pakistan or other Islamic countries are not likely to be harassed for their religion because they are unarguably a part of an overwhelming majority. Therefore unlike persecuted Hindus, Christians or Buddhist minorities, they do not need additional support from India to survive.

Significantly, the Union Minister reiterated the centre’s present position during a recent meeting in West Bengal where he was addressing members of the Matua community — a large Hindu scheduled caste group based in Bangladesh. Many of their members have been forced to move over to India particularly to neighbouring West Bengal state because they found living in Bangladesh increasingly difficult in recent years.

Mr Mishra stressed that the BJP had not forgotten its commitment made to the Matuas. Those living as displaced refugees would get their promised Indian citizenship as per provisions of the new law. The administrative process had been resumed .The final draft of the CAA was expected to be ready by the first quarter of 2024, prior to its implementation

This announcement was cheered by the Matuas, who are generally known to support the BJP in Bengal elections, much to the chagrin of the ruling TMC). However, apart from issuing a routine statement outlining its opposition, the TMC did not react strongly.

In contrast, opposition parties based in Assam were far more vocal against the CAA, judging from recent reports. Congress leader Mr Gaurav Gogoi suggested that in case more Hindus or other refugees were to be settled in India, then Assam should not be further burdened. They could be settled in Gujarat or other states, he said. Most parties in Assam , it needs stating, regardless of political affiliations strongly assert that their state was already home to lakhs of Bengali speaking Hindus who had fled from erstwhile Pakistan and then from Bangladesh post 1971 in several waves.

A Congress MP from Assam, according to reports, had urged whether the centre wanted to make sure that Bangladesh was totally free of any Hindu presence on its soil. In case a further Hindu migration was encouraged, a stage may come when there would no lamps lit in the famous Dhakeswari temple there. GOI should try to ensure that Bangladesh administration took greater care to see that Hindus did not feel insecure and continued living in peace.

Observers found this view intriguing. It may be recalled that there was a sharply negative reaction in Bangladesh as well to the CAA provisions, especially from the ruling Awami League (AL) party there. AL leaders feared that if Hindus living in Bangladesh found it easy to secure Indian citizenship, they would not hesitate to seize what they would see as a new opportunity to settle within a bigger economy with greater international weightage. Their exodus would hurt the Bangladesh economy, not to mention the electoral prospects of the AL as a relatively secular party in the regional political context.

Other Assam leaders said that the CAA’s provisions contradicted some formulations of the 1985 Assam accord to which the Centre was a signatory. It specifically mentioned a cut-off date beyond which no Bangladeshi would be allowed to enter Assam without valid documents. Asam Jatiya Parishad leaders felt the CAA provisions violated Constitutional guarantees regarding Indian citizenship.

Countering such apprehensions/objections, Assam BJP leaders pointed out that the NDA would certainly honour its commitment regarding the CAA, just as the party had kept its promises about building the Ram temple. Under the CAA’s provisions, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Parsees etc , if fleeing from Pakistan or Bangladesh , would be eligible to apply for Indian citizenship — provided they had entered India on or before December 31, 2014 and had already spent five years here. (IPA Service)