'NO
NEED FOR INDIAN CITIZENS
OF ANY RELIGION TO WORRY
ABOUT CAA, NRC'
NEW DELHI: The government has urged people not to get misled and
fall victim to the misinformation campaign by vested interests over the
Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Here is a
fact sheet in the form of Q&A based on inputs from government sources to
help people understand the issue.
1. Is NRC a part of the CAA?
No, the CAA is a separate law and NRC is a separate process. The
CAA has come into force nationwide after its passage from Parliament, while the
NRC rules and procedures for the country are yet to be decided. The NRC process
that is going on in Assam has been implemented by the Supreme Court and
mandated by the Assam Accord.
2. Do Indian Muslims need to worry about CAA or NRC?
There is no need for an Indian citizen of any religion to worry about the CAA
or NRC.
3. Will NRC be for people of a particular religion?
No, NRC has nothing to do with any religion at all. NRC is for
every citizen of India. It is a citizen register, in which names of every
Indian will be recorded.
4. Will people be excluded in NRC on religious grounds?
No, NRC is not about any religion at all. Whenever NRC will be
implemented, it will neither be applied on the basis of religion nor can it be
implemented on the basis of religion. No one can be excluded just on the basis
that he follows a particular religion.
5. By conducting NRC, will we be asked to present proofs of us
being Indian?
First of all, it is important to know that at the national
level, no announcement has been made to begin the NRC process. If it is
implemented, it does not mean that anyone will be asked for proof of being
Indian. NRC is merely a normal process to register your name in the Citizens’
Register. Just like we present our identity cards or any other document for
registering our names in the voter list or getting Aadhaar card made, similar
documents shall need to be provided for NRC, as and when it is carried out.
6. How is citizenship decided? Will it be in the hands of the
government?
Citizenship of any person is decided on the basis of The
Citizenship Rules, 2009. These rules are based on the Citizenship Act, 1955.
This rule is publicly in front of everyone. These are five ways for any person
to become a citizen of India: I. Citizenship by birth II. Citizenship by
descent. III. Citizenship by registration IV. Citizenship by naturalization V.
Citizenship by incorporation.
7. Will you have to provide details of birth of parents to prove
your Indian citizenship?
It would be sufficient for you to provide the details of your
birth such as date of birth, month, year and place of birth. If you do not have
the details of your birth, then you will have to provide the same details about
your parents. But there is absolutely no compulsion to submit any document by
the parents. Citizenship can be proved by submitting any documents related to
date of birth and place of birth. However, a decision is yet to be taken on
such acceptable documents. This is likely to include voter cards, passports,
Aadhaar, licenses, insurance papers, birth certificates, school leaving
certificates, documents relating to land or home or other similar documents
issued by government officials. The list is likely to include more documents so
that no Indian citizen has to suffer unnecessarily.
8. Do I have to prove ancestry dating back before 1971?
No, for pre-1971 genealogy, you do not have to submit any type
of identity card or any documents like birth certificate of parents/ancestors.
It was valid only for the Assam NRC, based on the 'Assam Accord' and the
directive of the Supreme Court. For the rest of the country, the NRC process is
completely different and under The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and
Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
9. If it is so easy to prove identity, then how 19 lakh people
in Assam were affected due to NRC?
Infiltration is an old problem in Assam. To curb it, there was a
movement and in 1985, the then Rajiv Gandhi government, to identify the
intruders, had to enter into an agreement to prepare NRC, assuming the cut-off
date of 25 March 1971.
10. During NRC, will we be asked to present old documents, which
are difficult to collect?
There is nothing like that. Common documents will only be
required to prove identity. When the NRC is announced at the national level,
then rules and instructions will be made for it in such a way that no one will
face any trouble. The government has no intention of harassing its citizens or
putting them in trouble!
11. What if a person is illiterate and does not have relevant
documents?
In this case, the authorities will allow that person to bring a
witness. Also, other evidence and community verification etc. will also be
allowed. A proper procedure will be followed. No Indian citizen will be put in
undue trouble.
12. There are a large number of people in India who do not have
homes, are poor and are not educated and they do not even have any basis of
identity. What will happen to such people?
This is not entirely correct. Such people vote on some basis and
they also get the benefit of the welfare schemes of the government. Their
identity will be established on the basis of that.
13. Does NRC exclude anyone for being transgender, atheist,
adivasis, dalits, women and landless without/without documents?
No, NRC, as and when carried out, does not affect any of the
mentioned above.
