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We, a group of academicians, intellectuals and research scholars are issuing this statement in
our personal capacity in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019.
The act fulfils the long-standing demand of providing refuge to persecuted religious minorities
from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. Ever since the failure of the Liaquat-Nehru pact
of 1950, various leaders and political parties like the Congress, CPI (M) etc, cutting across the
ideological spectrum, have demanded the grant of citizenship to religious minorities from
Pakistan and Bangladesh who mostly belong to the Dalit castes.
We congratulate the Indian parliament and government for standing up for forgotten
minorities and upholding the civilizational ethos of India; providing a haven to those fleeing
religious persecution. We also note with satisfaction that the concerns of the North-Eastern
states have been heard and are being addressed appropriately. We believe that CAA is in
perfect sync with the secular constitution of India as it does not prevent any person of any
religion from any country, seeking Indian citizenship. Nor does it change the criteria of
citizenship in any way; merely providing a special expedited redress, under special
circumstances, for minorities fleeing religious persecution from three specific countries i.e.
Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. It does not in any way prevent Ahmadis, Hazaras,
Baloch or any other denominations and ethnicities, from these same three countries, seeking
citizenship through regular processes.
We also note with deep anguish, that an atmosphere of fear and paranoia is being created in
the country through deliberate obfuscation and fear-mongering leading to violence in several
parts of the country. We appeal to every section of society to exercise restraint and refuse to
fall into the trap of propaganda, communalism and anarchism.