20 Afghan Sikhs get citizenship under Citizenship Amendment Act

Twenty Sikhs from Afghanistan, part of the first group of Afghan Sikhs who had applied for citizenship online nearly 100 days ago, have been accorded citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 in the past one week in New Delhi.

Some of the applicants came way back in 1997 but continued to live here on a long-term visa. 

Additionally, there are around 400 Afghan Sikhs whose applications under the Citizenship Act, 1955 are pending since 2010, with many applicants having entered India in 1992 after the Leftist government in Afghanistan fell.

In 2009, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had significantly eased Long Term Visa (LTV) norms for Hindus and Sikhs from Pakistan and Afghanistan enabling them to apply for citizenship under the 1955 Act as many lost their passports or the document expired in transit. LTVs are a precursor to citizenship. 

Many Sikhs have now petitioned the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to migrate their applications from the 1955 Act to CAA, as, under the latter, the chances of getting citizenship are better.

Fateh Singh, general secretary of Khalsa Diwan Welfare Society in New Delhi, said he came to India in 1992 but continues to live here on an LTV, which is renewed every two years. Mr. Singh set up a camp at a gurudwara in Mahabir Nagar in west Delhi to help Sikh migrants file applications under CAA.

“We opened the camp in April after the CAA Rules were notified on March 11. Over 400 Afghan Sikhs applied through this camp and within 100 days around 20 of them have got their citizenship certificates. Now they can apply for an Indian passport,” Mr. Singh said.

Mr. Singh said he continues to live as a refugee as his application under the 1955 Act is pending with MHA, which is clearing the applications under CAA.

“Under the parent Act, multiple authorities, including the State government officials, were involved. However, under CAA, the role of the State government has been obliterated, so the applications are processed quickly,” he said.

Tarlok Singh, 48, who came to India in 2007, said three members of his family are Indian citizens now under CAA, his two minor sons, 11 and 13, will have to await a little longer.

Narrating the circumstances under which he migrated to India, he said, “I used to run a perfume shop in Afghanistan. One day someone had a fight with me over ₹100. I was dragged to the police station three times.

While several Afghan Muslims stood by me, saying it was not my fault. However, I decided to come to India for the safety of my family.”

Mr. Tarlok said he had previously never applied for Indian citizenship and used to assist a relative at a hosiery shop in central New Delhi’s Karol Bagh market for a living. “We are very happy. I got the citizenship certificate on August 9,” he said.

Source : https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/20-afghan-sikhs-get-citizenship-under-caa/article68516637.ece