‘400 immigrants granted citizenship under CAA in 2 years’

Kolkata: Since its implementation in March 2024, a little less than 400 migrants have been granted citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), say sources. However, the process is expected to gain substantial momentum in Bengal, with CM 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.CAA faced considerable pushback from the previous state govt, with then-CM Mamata Banerjee protesting its implementation.As state govt's stance changes with a new party in office, CAA focus in the country shifts heavily to Bengal, home to an estimated 30 million members of the Matua community — mostly Namasudra and Dalit refugees who migrated during 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.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 for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who entered India on or before Dec 31, 2014. It specifically excludes Muslim migrants, a flashpoint that triggered intense national debate.