CAA & NRC – International Implications
On December 11th 2019 India took a tremendous step towards two crucial bills, namely the ‘CAA & NRC’ which sparked massive riots inside the country. Whilst some people saw this bill as a means to extradite Muslims and divide the country based on religion, others viewed it as a move which will help rid the tag of ‘illegal migrants‘ from the people’s head; those who were persecuted for their religion and have come to India seeking shelter.
The mass riots, protests and outcry over the introduction of these new bills made a lot of eyes turn towards India. The international community had mixed opinions about the situation in India. Whilst some downright criticised India, its ‘dirty politics’ and violation of Human Rights others turned a blind eye to it and stated that it is India’s ‘internal matter’ and we don’t want to indulge ourselves in it.
Opinions apart, lets see how has this development has actually come to affect our relations with these countries and their representatives and what have been the implications that we will have to face for this step taken.
CAA & NRC
Before jumping in to International Implications, a brief on what CAA and NRC are –
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was introduced by the government to give citizenship to persecuted minorities such as Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian which belonged from neighbouring countries such as Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. These type of migrants will be granted fast track Indian citizenship within 6 years with the help of the new law.
However, the Act does not mention Muslims and any other religion, it also doesn’t offer any of the eligibility benefits to Muslim immigrants or immigrants belonging to any other religion who will be branded as ‘illegal foreigners’. According to the Intelligence Bureau’s (IB) statistics[1], the immediate beneficiaries of this Act will be around –
- 25,000 Hindus,
- 6,000 Sikhs,
- 50 Christians,
- 2 Buddhists
- 2 Parsis.
The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a government record of people who are legal Indian citizens. The NRC also contains information about everyone who qualifies as a citizen of India as per the original Citizenship Act, 1955. The register was was only once updated in 1951 when the census was conducted in India, after that the register has never been updated. However, on November 20 2019, Home Minister Amit Shah declared during a parliamentary session that the register would be updated in the upcoming census which will occur in 2021.
International perspective
Now, coming to the International perspective; the Hungarian Foreign Minister (FM) visited India a few days ago and he was asked what he thinks of CAA & NRC. He replied by saying :
”The issue regarding CAA & NRC including Kashmir are purely internal issues and should be dealt with Indians alone and not by any external forces or governments”
He further went on to say that :
”I Don’t like it when countries educate and lecture other countries on how to behave and how to handle things internally, they should mind their own business/issues first and sort out their own problems rather than trying to sort out others complications. The first priority of every country should be to sort out their own drawbacks before offering assistance to others.”
Péter Szijjártó, Hungarian Foreign Minister (FM)
I completely agree with Mr. Péter Szijjártó on this view point.. I think his example should not only be applicable on a large scale but should be implemented in day to day life as well. We should mind our own business and should not indulge in others until and unless it is directly or indirectly affects us. Snooping around in others businesses is not only bad for reputation and relations but also portrays a bad image in society.
Mr. Szijjártó believes that no matter what others say, it’s the people who are residing in the country whose opinions actually matter and which holds importance. It’s the people who vote and elect their leaders, they are the ones with power in their hands and they should utilise it in the way they see fit. Indians decisions should not be wavered by what other states say or comment because it is them who knows the best.
Moving on, Raveesh Kumar spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in the Government of India, sent messages and details to High commissions and posts abroad to forward it to host countries about CAA & NRC. The messages he sent was to inform the host countries that this issue (CAA & NRC) is a state matter and India would like no kind of interference from other countries. The message also stated that India is well capable of handling this situation on its own and if required, India will reach out and openly accept any suggestions.
I think that sending out a message to clarify the situation in India is a good step which has been taken by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Not only will it help people abroad understand the actions taken by the government but it will also rid people of the rumors and fake news that they have been hearing. The main purpose of the message was to convey that it doesn’t affect any other community which is trying to seek an Indian citizenship irregardless of their nationality or religion.The message also adds another crucial point i.e, it doesn’t affect anyone who is interested in staying in India or travelling through India over a year.
Raveesh Kumar further said that :
..the ministry will hold bilateral talks with Ambassadors and High Commissioners currently present in India who are of different nationalities to clear this subject.
He emphasises that this is important so that there isn’t any kind of doubt or confusion amongst them and they can rest easy and have peace of mind about their citizens staying in the country.
Mr. Kumar further added that the bill (CAA) doesn’t seek to strip Indian citizenship from anyone at all. The rumors people have been hearing that ‘Muslims will be persecuted’ under this bill are completely false and are meant to unsettle and disrupt the normal functioning of society. He also clearly stated that the bill doesn’t in any way alter or misuse the basic structure of the Indian Constitution which the foreign press has alleged.
Shashi Tharoor who is known throughout India for his immense knowledge of History and Culture and his bold debating skills is an Indian politician, writer and a former diplomat who is currently serving as a Member of Parliament. He has had a lot to say about the current situation in India and how it is affecting our ties with other countries and what we are missing out because of this unfruitful step.
Shashi Tharoor has mostly criticised the bill and its implementation in India. He believes that implications have not just been severe but deadly for our foreign relations. A lot of countries have frowned upon us for implementing CAA & NRC. He also added that a few representatives that were meant to come to India have even canceled their visits/trips due to the recent violent developments that have occured.
Shashi Tharoor said :
..this has had a major impact, as you can see, the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe who was going to come to India to visit Guwahati canceled his visit last December because of the recent violent developments which occured when the government announced the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act….not only that but Bangladeshi ministers have also cancelled their trips to India over the recent developments and because of their disagreement with the policies of the Indian government.
The Bangladeshi Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan upon hearing of the implementation of CAA & NRC and the violence and protests it had brought along with it quoted :
”let them fight among themselves”
Asaduzzaman Khan, Home Minister, Bangladesh
Upon this remark by the Bangladeshi Home Minister Shashi Tharoor pointed out that Bangladesh being a very friendly country whom we have good ties with has developed these abstract feelings towards us. He then said :
”..what do you think; if our friend’s feelings can change towards us then what sort of an image are we portraying to our neutrals or to our enemies ? I wouldn’t be surprised if I heard such statements from other representatives of different countries.
Shashi Tharoor, MP
After reading such a statement I was quite shocked, I couldn’t believe how a close friend such as Bangladesh had turned its back on us, a country whom we see holding such close ties with us. This made me really worry about what Mr. Shashi Tharoor said, our enemies are going to be waiting for an opportunity to strike us weather its economically by sanctioning or stopping trades with us or verbally by condemning us.
Shortly after, the Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on being asked about how she felt for the recent actions which have been taken by India :
“We don’t understand why they (the Indian government) did it. It was not necessary…Bangladesh has always maintained that the CAA & NRC are internal matters of India. The government of India, on their part, has also repeatedly maintained that the NRC is an internal exercise of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has in person assured me of the same during my visit to New Delhi in October 2019.”
Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh PM
Lastly, Shivshankar Menon an Indian diplomat who has been the National Security Advisor of India also disagrees with both the bills and says that :
”This recent development regarding CAA & NRC has pushed India away from the rest of the world. Not only that, it seems like in today’s age of globalisation where every country connects with one another and is interrelated, India it seems is becoming isolated from the world.”
He further stated that recognised rights which are present under Article 2 of International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights are meant for all individuals and not only citizens because everyone is equal under a jurisdiction.
Shivshankar Menon further went on to say that India has now become a violator of International law and covenants. This has been due to the implementation of CAA and its discriminatory nature. People such as Emmanuel Macron the President of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel, Filippo Grandi the High Commissioner for United Nations High Commission for Refugees who personally showed their dissent and disapproval by condemning the CAA and calling it fundamentally discriminatory in nature shows us that the International community is concerned about what is happening in India and they want to help push the government towards taking the right step.
Shivshankar Menon also stated that :
”..We are coming out to be religiously driven and an intolerant state. We were and have been followed by many countries as their idols and role models but due to this development by the government i.e, introduction of CAA & NRC has raised many questions, weather if we are the right role model for countries to follow or not. Not only has this made others lose hope in India but it has also made us lose good friends.”
Conclusion
With all that being said, I believe that it’s in all of us, it’s human nature to search for shortcomings/drawbacks in others and to exploit it on the first given opportunity. With the current condition we are in, our international relations have taken a blow and suffered because of the radical changes in the Citizenship Act and people and states have acted on this. Whilst some were neutral, others took advantage and showed us their true colours.
I anticipate that from here on out, any changes the government plans to introduce or to implement should be thought about beforehand and people should be made aware about its actual aim/goal before others get a chance of spreading misinformation. Policies should also be made keeping in mind the general public and their views and opinions, voting should be conducted in small scale to find out how the people of that particular place react to the specific policy, whether they liked it or disliked it, if there are any improvements or suggestions to it. This will not only help bring the government and the people together and strengthen their bond but also help bills/policies to be implemented faster.
Now looking at the International view, I think that it sometimes is important to look ‘out of the box’ and have feedback via other people, this gives you a clear idea and helps you reach your goals faster but in this specific situation; I reckon that a decision taken once by your self shouldn’t waver despite what others say. No matter how much someone criticises you or condemns you, if you think your right then no one can tell you your wrong.
Yes, we(India) have been looked down upon and been talked about behind closed doors. Yes, we have had a few dignitaries cancel their meetings and visits because of the protests and riots but that is who we are now, we are a new India. We are a country where the CAA & NRC are binding laws and everyone else must accept the way we are now.
Citations
Joy, Shemin. “31,313 Beneficiaries If Citizenship Bill Passed: IB.” Deccan Herald, DH News Service, 14 Jan. 2019, www.deccanherald.com/national/31313-beneficiaries-if-712984.html.
Comments
Post a Comment