Assam's CAA Controversy: Hindu Bengalis' Citizenship Confidence

In Assam, Hindu Bengalis have not applied for citizenship under the CAA, confident in their status as Indian citizens. The Assam Chief Minister noted that the CAA is largely irrelevant in the state. Opposition groups claim recent policy changes betray the Assam Accord's original stipulations on illegal migrants.

In a recent statement, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma revealed that Hindu Bengalis in the state have largely not applied for citizenship under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), indicating their confidence in their status as Indian nationals.

Sarma emphasized that most Hindu Bengalis arrived before the cut-off date of 1971, a benchmark established even during Indira Gandhi's tenure as Prime Minister. With only a dozen applications received and a mere three approvals, the CAA's relevance in Assam has been questioned.

However, opposition parties and groups like the All Assam Students' Union criticize this stance, arguing that it undermines the Assam Accord's original terms, which aimed to identify and deport illegal migrants by March 1971. They accuse the ruling party of extending citizenship to recent Bengali Hindu immigrants to the state.

(With inputs from agencies.)