Citizenship Amendment Act impacts on India’s secular image

Citizenship Amendment Act impacts on India’s secular image

Amid protests, the Indian parliament has passed amendments to the Citizenship Act to address the citizenship concerns of religious minorities from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The amendment act has evoked extreme reactions from the Indian and the international community, who are up in arms against this humanitarian move. It is being widely debated and discussed on TV channels between government officials, ruling party members, and other political leaders who feel threatened by this Act.

Impact on India’s secular image and foreign policy:

Relation with Neighbour: The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2019 for providing citizenship to non-Muslim immigrants who came to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh has sparked off a geopolitical firestorm. The Bill is under scanner not only for discriminatory language and lack of consensus but also for the immeasurable adverse impact it could have on the country’s image and foreign policy. Bangladesh’s Ministers for Home and Foreign affairs cancelled visits and even Afghans at the American University of Afghanistan were denied a visa to study in India. While we try to build a rapport with neighbouring countries, these moves will not only undermine our relationship but also hamper any chances of cross-border trade, which is dependent on the movement of people and goods.

Stance on Kashmir: Countries with vested interests in Kashmir such as Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Saudi Arabia have managed to use the situation to their gains. India is under tremendous pressure to meet the demands of CAA. Its refusal to do so has been termed as discrimination on grounds of religion. It is a step towards religious intolerance and cultural suppression. This opens up new doors for Pakistan to demand more dialogue on Kashmir and halt the process of returning land from Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (POK). CAA has brought gloom over the prospects of peace in Kashmir. It is important to understand that there are two types of voices being raised for secularism: One that wants religious freedom for every citizen and another that abhors an individual’s right to choose any faith based on his

US relations: The law has caused a furor in the USA where the Indian government has been under constant pressure from the US administration for their past domestic policies. Many non-governmental organizations in India have demanded that the Indian government include Muslims as an ‘oppressed’ minority group who are being ‘persecuted’ and thus entitled to get benefits. It is reported that these demands were made with pro-active encouragement from American think tanks and bodies.

Muslim countries ties: India is facing stiff criticism from various Muslim countries over the CAA. India's ties with Middle Eastern countries are important for Indian energy security. Trade relations with these countries help in strengthening India’s foreign policy. These Arab countries are one of the major suppliers of crude oil and natural gas to India. The Act has drawn a lot of concern from them and was seen as discrimination towards Muslims of India.

Impact on various opportunities: It will also have a bearing on India’s ability to attract foreign investments through programs such as Make in India, especially at a time when key markets are exhibiting a slowdown in growth. Given the heightened levels of social unrest and political uncertainty that is likely to prevail across India in the coming days, there are question marks over how confident investors would react with regards to upcoming projects in other states as well.

Religious bigots: Nothing damages a nation’s credibility as much as being seen as religious bigots, and nothing destroys a country’s image as much as hawkish politics in these times of clash of cultures. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) risks denting India’s image of secularism, upon which rests one pillar of its power in South Asia. It's ironic that the BJP's Hindutva, which has more regressive customs and rituals than progressive ones to hold it together, betrays a mind-frame that is more conservative than modern.

What should be done to restore India’s secular image

Remove doubts regarding CAA: Ever since the Centre passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill, there has been a lot of reaction from the rest of the world. They are either criticizing it for not doing enough or for being too divisive. Now India should reach out to all the nations and allay any fears regarding citizenship amendment act. Government should take its friends into confidence and should remove doubts regarding CAA.

Diplomatic efforts: The need for such an effort is all the more relevant as India’s own image of secularism needs to be saved from the barrage of attacks being unleashed by the Hindutva forces and their allies. There is an urgent need for a diplomatic offensive to propound India’s secular credentials, especially in face of a series of communal statements made by some senior ministers.

Clarity about CAA: Unless the Government of India ensures that all the provisions of CAA and NRC are clarified, there will be chaos and confusion, and national security and sovereignty will be compromised.

Assurance: The government should assure its neighbors about the effective implementation and no discrimination against Muslims in India regarding CAA provisions. This will help to promote closer ties between India and other nations for peaceful co-existence as a responsible member of the international community.