Gujarat citizens: Citizenship Bill refuses to provide 'equal rights' to all religious groups

Human rights day being observed by Gujarat activists on December 10

Counterview Desk
A group of 232 activists, academics, students, artists and concerned citizens*, mainly from Gujarat, have signed a statemen condemning the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB), saying, not only is CAB discriminatory, worse, the Government of India has has had little or no communication with neighbouring countries on the practical aspects of its execution, especially deportation of migrants.

Text:

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (2019) has recently been approved by the Union Cabinet. Based on media reports and an erstwhile lapsed version of the bill, it appears that the proposed law will grant Indian citizenship to any Hindu, Christian, Jain, Sikh, Parsi, and Buddhist refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan who arrived before December 31, 2014.
It will not apply to the tribal areas of the northeast, in Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. While the Citizenship Amendment Bill’s stated purpose is to offer refuge to persecuted minorities from neighbouring countries, it only applies to a small, very specific group of minorities and countries.
It conveniently omits Ahmadis from Pakistan, Rohingyas from Myanmar, and Tamils from Sri Lanka, proving that the bill is not about protecting refugees, but instead is intended simply to advance the agenda of Hindutva. In turn, the law will inflame passions, and sharpen communal divisions all over the country, particularly in Bengal, Assam, and other states of the North East.
The Home Minister, Amit Shah, has stated in clear terms the intention of the government to “kick out […] every intruder except Hindus, Buddhists and Sikhs." The exclusion of Muslims from his speech, and from this Bill is aimed is to further divide the country along communal lines, and target a vulnerable minority community.
The final draft of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam categorised over 19 lakh people as “illegal immigrants,” the majority of whom have lived in Assam for decades. Sources suggest that more than 14 lakh people on the list are Hindu whereas5 lakh are Muslim. As soon as these figures came in, BJP leaders demanded that the NRC be conducted once more, as there were Hindus than Muslims on the list.
They then tried to divide people throughout Bengal and the North East by promising citizenship to only the Hindus on the list. Not only is this amendment discriminatory, it is also poorly planned. In Assam, which has a population of 3.5 crores, the government of India has spent 1,600 crore rupees in order to implement the NRC. We must consider the financial cost of implementing such a system throughout the country.

The Union Government plans to replicate the NRC in all Indian states to drive out the so-called infiltrators and foreign migrants. If the proposed amendments to the Citizenship Act take effect, it would mean that these undocumented migrants will be granted Indian citizenship as long as they are not Muslims.
Additionally, there has been little to no communication with neighbouring countries on the practical aspects of execution, especially deportation of migrants. When the Indian Prime Minister met Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the UN General Assembly, he assured her that the NRC process happening in India would not affect Bangladesh.
Within India, the government has stated that illegal immigrants will be kicked out of the country. The Constitution of India is founded on the values of secular democracy providing equality of rights across religious groups. The proposed amendments to the citizenship law are an affront to the Constitution. On the face of it, these amendments violate Article 14, which guarantees equality under the law, and Article 15, which prohibits the state to discriminate on religious lines.

Narendra Modi assured Sheikh Hasina at UN General Assem that the NRC process happening in India would not affect Bangladesh

Both of these articles are part of the Basic Structure of Indian Constitution which cannot be amended under any circumstances by the Parliament, as declared by the Supreme Court of India in the Keshavnanda Bharati (1973) judgement. If this law comes into effect, it will overturn one of India’s most important values, and determine citizenship on the basis of religion.
This would damage the very fabric of this country, and opposing this law is imperative for all Indians. Not only will this law contradict the founding values of the Indian republic, but it will also change the character of this nation forever. By converting India into a homeland of Hindus, it mimics a dangerous idea of ethnic citizenship which has always provoked disharmony and violence across the world, including in the neighbouring country of Pakistan.
It is the responsibility of every Indian citizen who values equality and justice to oppose this reprehensible proposal to change the character of Indian citizenship. In support of various protests taking place across India and outside, we, the concerned residents of Gujarat unequivocally opposed and condemn this proposed law.
---
*Click here for signatories

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov, the artist who survived Stalin's cultural purges

By Harsh Thakor* Sergei Vasilyevich Gerasimov (September 14, 1885 – April 20, 1964) was a Soviet artist, professor, academician, and teacher. His work was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize, the highest artistic honour of the USSR. His paintings traced the development of socialist realism in the visual arts while retaining qualities drawn from impressionism. Gerasimov reconciled a lyrical approach to nature with the demands of Soviet socialist ideology.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Public money, private profits: Crop insurance scheme as goldmine for corporates

By Vikas Meshram The farmer in India is not merely a food provider; he is the soul of the nation. For centuries, enduring natural calamities and bearing debt generation after generation while remaining loyal to the soil, this community now finds itself trapped in a different kind of crisis. In February 2016, the Modi government launched the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) with the stated objective of freeing farmers from the shackles of debt. It was an ambitious attempt to provide a strong safety net to cultivators repeatedly devastated by excessive rainfall, drought, and hailstorms.

Development at what cost? The budget's blind spot for the environment

By Raj Kumar Sinha* The historical ills in the relationship between capital and the environment have now manifested in areas commonly referred to as the "environmental crisis." This includes global warming, the destruction of the ozone layer, the devastation of tropical forests, mass mortality of fish, species extinction, loss of biodiversity, poison seeping into the atmosphere and food, desertification, shrinking water supplies, lack of clean water, and radioactive pollution.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Search This Blog