If the country, and by extension, the states comprising it is to steer towards the direction of progress and development, thereby putting a halt to the deteriorating economic growth which slowed to a six-and-a-half-year low in Q2 FY 2019, which ran from July to September, the burning issue of the Citizenship Amendment Act –CAA should be put to rest for good. A task easier said than done given the increasing magnitude of protests and agitations against it. The declaration of Amit Shah who is the Minister of Home Affairs that there is no question of rolling back what can arguably described as the most controversial and contested Act in recent history only goes to show the extent to which the central government is willing to go to implement the act. On the other hand, there is an increase, both in terms of intensity and magnitude, in the opposition towards the act, with intellectuals and prominent public personalities including filmstars lending their voice to the agitation. The print as well as electronic media is still churning out opinions, discussions and editorials, and from what one can gather, almost every expressed opinion is against the act.
The ruling BJP government, meanwhile is on overdrive trying to play down the whole sordid affair as an instigated and orchestrated event. Expounding the Act as a much needed measure to provide relief to the prosecuted minorities of the neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, the government is yet to provide a plausible or convincing explaination as to why only Muslim-majority countries are specifically mentioned, or that if religious prosecution is being carried out only in these countries. The expressed objectives of the Act is a noble and philanthropic one which merits applause and support, but despite its altruistic intentions, the obstinate reluctance of the centre to address the specific concerns of different regions as well as geographical variations before passing the Bill have painted a dark picture to the whole effort, and is becoming a cause for grave concern and a questionable intent. Dismissing the voice of the people in such a manner does not bode well for those at the helm of affairs, and certainly amounts to underestimating the integrity of the hundreds of thousands of the protesting voice. To state that the protests are organized by the opposing political parties is nothing short of insulting the intelligence of the dissenting public amongst which are thousands of intellectuals, academicians and even bureaucrats.
The centre needs to abstain from its long-practiced arm-twisting methods of getting things done their way. Trying to look after the welfare of the neighbours while members of the family are still reeling under poverty, unemployment and pressures of everyday life does not translate to altruism. The self-serving agenda of the central government is getting clearer with each passing day, and what is more unfortunate is that the practice of arm-twisting has been applied to its own people, as is evident from the admissions of a few nominated representatives from the state.
Even though the state is under the ILP system thereby providing a brief respite from the immediate threat of CAA, it is in no way a permanent solution or a reliable defence mechanism from the inevitable influx of illegal immigrants which is making their way to the state. It is only a matter of ‘when’ and not ‘what if’. The state government should make necessary arrangements or else the people will be forced to find their own means to ensure their safety. And time is running out.
