The draft bill will now go to Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament for ratification, before the president issues a decree to make it into a law. Several opposition parties, civil rights activists, and people from the Muslim community fear the proposed legislation is discriminatory as it would dent India’s image of religious pluralism.
In the northeastern region, which has been a hotbed of illegal immigration from Bangladesh, protests continued on Tuesday. A large number of people came out and sat on roads to protest the proposed legislation.
Assam: Locals stage a protest in Dibrugarh against #CitizenshipAmendmentBill. The Bill was passed in Lok Sabha yesterday. pic.twitter.com/4FlzRJk6U9
— ANI (@ANI) December 10, 2019
Harsh Mander, a leading rights activist, announced the launch of a civil disobedience movement against the proposed legislation, if made into a law. Mander is a well-known critic of the current nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party-led federal government.
If CAB is passed, this is my civil disobedience:
— Harsh Mander (@harsh_mander) December 10, 2019
I will officially register Muslim. I will then refuse to submit any documents to NRC. I will finally demand the same punishment as any undocumented Muslim- detention centre & withdrawn citizenship.
Join this civil disobedience
Proponents of the legislation came down heavily on Mander and even suggested he should move to Pakistan.
Wikipedia tells you were born and n Shillong in 1955. So even if you declare yourself as Muslim you will be an Indian Muslim. Which school you attended in Shillong which didn't impart you basic intellect. Muslim has nothing to do with this bill.Go and read it
— Prasenjit Bhattacharjee (@Prasenj92908087) December 10, 2019
Instead, you can leave to Pak. Believe me, your brother's will help u to leave there. Or try middle East. Better. All in all...leave my country
— EastCoast (@EastCoastIndia) December 10, 2019
Even better will be going to either Pakistan or to Bangladesh.
— Mallikarjuna (@HariHaraBhakta) December 10, 2019
If possible carry a million of Piranhas from India too and fulfill Dr. B R Ambedkar wish (at least a little part).https://t.co/TT7hD1v7bV
The proposed legislation also made waves beyond India's borders, with the US House Foreign Committee saying that “Any religious test for citizenship undermines this most basic democratic tenet”.
Religious pluralism is central to the foundations of both India and the United States and is one of our core shared values. Any religious test for citizenship undermines this most basic democratic tenet. #CABBillhttps://t.co/7wyeXMFfxl
— House Foreign Affairs Committee (@HouseForeign) December 9, 2019
The draft Bill says that “persons belonging to minority communities, namely, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan….shall not be treated as illegal migrants for the purpose of the Act".
Federal Home Minister of India Amit Shah, who piloted the Bill, said the legislation does not target any minority community, “but illegal immigrants would not be allowed to stay in the country at any cost”.
