CAB & NRC: COMPLETE INFORMATION, REASONS FOR PROTESTS

Since the begining of December, we have observed widespread protest (even the violent ones also) throughout the country against NRC and CAB(or CAA). But what do we really know about NRC and CAB? Is CAB really communal?

Is NRC planned to sweep out one community of India? If you have these questions, then you are at the right place to recieve answers with proof.

On 15^th December, the protest against Citizen Amendment Act(CAA) and National Register of Citizens(NRC) turned violent when we saw on media that people from Jamia Nagar and nearby areas were pelting stones on Policemen and torching the buses of Delhi Transport Commission. Afterwards, we saw police entering into the campus of Jamia Milia Islamia University, beating up the students and it has been reported by the authority that police not only beat up the students but also destroyed the university property. On Social media sites, the multi-media of the incidents are viral. You can see both, the videos; one, people pelting stones on the policemen, and other, policemen beating up the students. But which side should we take? Was police correct with its act? Were the people or the students correct with their act?

I don’t take any of the sides as the actions of both the sides are not justified. Some people share images of the critical condition of the students after the incident, some share the horrible condition of the policemen due to stones being pelted on them.

Before deciding our stand, we should focus on why the protest was going on? What did the protesters demand from the government?

The protest is against the wrongly discussed Citizen Amendment Act(CAA) and National Register of Citizens(NRC) and the demand of the protesters is that the bill implementing these laws should be taken back/withdraw n.

What is Citizen Amendment Act/Bill(CAA/CAB)?

People are focusing on what they are being told by the irresponsible media and popular personalities (including one of the best news reporters of our country). They didn’t pay any attention to the word ‘Amendment’ which has the ability to clear all the doubts. Amend means to make a minor change. So, amending the constitution means bringing a minor change to some existing bill.

This means that whatever we have read about CAB, is an addition to the existing bill. But do we really know what is Citizenship bill? Well, all the reporting media have covered NRC and CAA (that also in false and deviating way) only.

Citizenship Bill was created in 1955 and has been amended many times in the history i.e. in 1986, 1992, 2003, 2005, 2015 and finally, it was amended on 15^th November, 2019. Accordingly, a person is given citizenship of India on the basis stated here: by birth, descent, registration and naturalization.

By Birth means:

A child born in India before 1^st July, 1987 is Indian Citizen by birth, a child born in India between 1 July 1987 to 3 December 2004 is a citizen of India if one of the parents was a citizen of India at the time of the birth. Those born in India on or after 3 December 2004 are considered citizens of India only if or both of their parents are citizens of India or if one parent is a citizen of India and the other is not an illegal migrant at the time of his/her birth.

By Descent means:

Persons born outside India between 26 January 1950 to December 1992 are citizens of India by descent if their father was a citizen of India at the time of their birth and those who born between December 1992 to December 2003 if either of their parents is a citizen of India at the time of birth and finally, all those who are born outside India after December 2003 shall not be considered citizens of India unless their birth is registered at an Indian diplomatic mission within one year of the date of birth.

By Registration means:

Any person who is not an illegal immigrant in India, can be registerd as the citizen of India under section 5 of Citizenship Act 1955 if,

• a person of Indian origin who is ordinarily resident in India for seven years before making application under Section 5(1)(a);
• a person of Indian origin who is ordinarily resident in any country or place outside undivided India;
• a person who is married to a citizen of India and is ordinarily resident in India for seven years before making an application for registration;
• minor children of persons who are citizens of India;
• a person of full age and capacity whose parents are registered as citizens of India;
• a person of full age and capacity who, or either of his parents, was earlier citizen of independent India, and has been residing in India for one year immediately before making an application for registration;
• a person of full age and capacity who has been registered as an overseas citizen of India for five years, and who has been residing in India for one year before making an application for registration.

By Naturalization:

A foreigner who is resident in India for 12 years and is not an illegal immigrant can acquire Indian citizenship through legal procedure.

Now, who is an Illegal Immigrant?

A person who is not having any legal right to live in a country, such as they don’t have any Visa to live in other country or proof of their persecution in their own country, are called illegal immigrants in a country.

The Citizenship Amendment Act/Bill (CAA/CAB) makes some addition to the existed law explained above as a person who is a citizen of one of the countries mentioned:- Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan; belonging to any of the faith mentioned:- Hinduism, Christianity, Jainism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism and Sikhism; if, is facing persecution on the basis of religion due to faith of the majority in their country, (on the basis of persecution) is eligible for Indian citizenship if, he/she migrated to India before 31^st December, 2014.

We have been made to believe that the present government via NRC and CAB, is going to kick all Muslims out of their homes and they are making India similar to Nazi Germany. Thanks to vulnerability of the targeted population and highly intellectual reporters of renowned news reporting sites. They are successful in helping the greedy opposition parties to create the miserable situation in the country in the name of NRC & CAB and to make Muslims feel inferior in their homes. Let me enlighten the area of reality that is hidden from the majority of people.


According to the above information about the citizenship law in our country, if even a Saudi Arabian citizen wants Indian citizenship, he can apply for it any time, if he/she is working and living in India since 7 years and is not an illegal immigrant in accordance to Citizenship by Naturalization. This fact is kept hidden from people of our country and media is reporting falsely that the Central Government will not provide citizenship to Muslims.

Can a Muslim from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan apply for Indian Citizenship?

Yes, he can do so. Since he is not persecuted in his country, so he has to follow the other legal procedure to get Indian citizenship that I’ve mentioned above in Citizenship by Naturalization. Ex. Adnan Sami, a renowned singer from Pakistan, took Indian citizenship in 2015.

Will Indian Muslims be expelled from their homes?

No, it is not the case. Since the Citizenship Law (the basic one without CAB ) is not having the name of any religion, hence, Muslims should not have fear of anything. All are Indians that satisfy the conditions given in the Citizenship Act whether they are Muslims or of other religions.

What is NRC (National Register of Citizens)?

It is simply a registry maintained by Govt. Of India containing the name of officially declared Citizens of India for the state of Assam, where Bangladeshi migrants took shelter in large numbers illegally. Now, Govt. of India is likely to implement it in the whole country to send the illegal immigrants back into their country.

To verify yourself as citizen of India and to get your name registered in updated NRC (i.e. to update the old NRC list), two sets of documents had to be furnished by the applicants that are -

List A Documents:

For inclusion of names of any person in updated NRC, the applicants must produce any one of the following List A documents issued before 24 March (midnight), 1971 where the name of self or ancestor appears (to prove residence in Assam up to 24 March (midnight), 1971):

• 1951 NRC
• Electoral Roll(s) up to 24 March (midnight), 1971
• Land & Tenancy Records
• Citizenship Certificate
• Permanent Residential Certificate
• Refugee Registration Certificate
• Any Govt. issued License/Certificate
• Govt. Service/ Employment Certificate
• Bank/Post Office Accounts
• Birth Certificate
• Board/University Educational Certificate
• Court Records/Processes

Further, the following two documents are also accepted as supporting documents if accompanied by any one of the documents listed above:

• Circle Officer/GP Secretary Certificate in respect of married women migrating after marriage (can be of any year before or after 24 March (midnight), 1971)
• Ration Card issued up to the midnight of 24 March 1971 can be adduced as supporting documents

List B Documents

If any of the documents of List A is not of the applicant himself/herself but that of an ancestor, the applicant then have to submit List B documents to establish relationship with such ancestor, whose name appears in List A. Such documents shall have to be legally acceptable document which clearly proves such relationship. The documents in List B to prove the relationship are:

• Birth Certificate
• Land document
• Board/University Certificate
• Bank/LIC/Post Office records
• Circle Officer/GP Secretary Certificate in case of married women
• Electoral Roll
• Ration Card
• Any other legally acceptable document.

Government has stated that the list will include more documents when NRC will be implemented across whole nation so that no genuine citizen of India is missed out.

NRC was first implemented in Assam and report of 31^st July, 2019 stated that out of 3.29 crore population of the state, 19 lakh people are labeled as Foreigners that is lower than the previous year count of 40 lakh. Govt. has also allowed these people to file the appeal in Foreigners’ Tribunal if they are not satisfied by the judgment within 120 days. Many of them were not able to establish themselves as the child of a native ancestor and some who were illiterate were not able to verify their names in NRC due to spelling mistake.

The other (and correct) angle which is seen by the protesting youth in Assam is that the law will give citizenship to non-Assamese people which will later have a negative impact on the demographics of the area. The non-Muslim, Bangla speakers that came from Bangladesh, will be getting the right to purchase the property in Assam and exploit other rights and also that will impact negatively on their ethnicity. It is unconstitutional. I totally, support such protest as the reason is valid and protest is being carried out in non-communal and non-violent way. 

A Point to Ponder over!💡

It’s quite strange that instead of protesting for the correct reason that is why the Bangla speaking immigrants from Bangladesh were allowed to take shelter in Assam and not in West Bengal, that can adversely affect the culture of Assam, people without even verifying the correct information regarding NRC and CAB. After watching what has happened in Assam, people must have realized the importance of official documents and basic education to read and write for which they never cared. 

Illegal Immigrants, if proven to be Bangladeshi,
will be sent back to Bangladesh.

According to me, imposing curfew and section 144 is not going to work in any disrupted place in Assam. By imposing this, the government will increase the agitation inside the citizens and moreover, Curfews are kinds of Colonial era’s stuff and we should keep a distance from them till the agitation is non-violent. Instead, they should look for a peaceful discussion with the people to bridge the gap with them. Lives, Businesses and livelihood are affected by Curfew. Ethnicity is the gift that nature gives to a new born baby via his/her family and culture and it is our moral duty to protect our culture and ethnicity and everyone should fight to protect them. The government should keep the answers ready for the questions of citizens and press conferences regarding these incidents should be conducted in a short span of time before the agitation turns violent.

Section 144  gives power to Executive Magistrate of a state or territory to issue an order to prohibit the assembly of more than 4 people to avoid any life or property damage. That’s why we see policemen throughout the region where section 144 is imposed. Whosoever violates the order is fined or jailed.

But what about Police beating up the students by entering into the university campus? Let me put some light on section 23 in Police Act, 1861 that states that Police have the right to enter any space or place of disorder to investigate without a warrant and apprehend the nuisance causing people. There was a lack of security concern by the University administration as nearly 750 fake ID’s were found to be working in the campus and surely those fake ID holders were the stone pelters, petrol bomb throwers that were attacking the policemen from inside the campus. When police retaliated everyone ran into the campus and even those students who were not involved in the protest were also beaten up. That’s something for which I felt bad. But you can't complain about the result, you should complain about the mistake from your side. Here, the mistake was of University Administration for showing their lack of concern regarding the security of their campus.

That’s all from my side and it is the time for you to decide who is correct in the protest that is being shown to us (the protest of Assam is not being shown to us).

-Dhairya Varshney