Explainer: Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)
The religious minorities, viz., Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Hindus, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014, because of persecution or were afraid of being persecuted on account of their faith, the CAA-2019 offers a route to Indian citizenship. The core objective is not to revoke citizenship but to grant it to specific religious minorities facing historical and ongoing persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan.The CAA's commitment to upholding principles of religious freedom and equality, within the secular fabric of India, underscores its humanitarian imperative to offer sanctuary to those who have endured persecution based on their religious identity.
(This explainer was first published by CIHS, New ...