Indian Citizenship Act: Reality and Usage

The paper examines purpose, usage and implications of recently promulgated Indian Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), passed by Indian parliament on 11 December, 2019.The Paper critically examines its impact on Muslim migrators who worked there as low skilled labourer. They kept to the generational old tradition of migrating to areas where more job opportunities were available. The areas where Muslim and other workers shifted for job became part of India after the partition. The coexistence could be possible due to labour demand, better political tolerability and absence of sense of alienation; being from the same ethnic and racial stock. Paper focuses on the negative implications of Indian Citizenship Act (CAA) which selectively targets the biggest minority in India. Study finds CAA politically purposeful and doctrinal in nature. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu far right movement, influenced Prime Minister Modi who leads Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the proponent of Hindu fundamentalism, Hindutva. Hindutva doctrine considers all those who came from outside India; must leave or accept Hindu norms and even conversion to Hinduism; to make India a pure Hindu state. The Act entails the shades of RSS Hindu fundamentalist doctrine. The study concludes that CAA will result in increased insecurity and discontent among minorities in India especially Muslims and will results in an identity crisis. Study recommend positive resolution to alleviate the Muslim population’s discontent.