The very idea of citizenship in India may be at stake as a joint parliamentary committee set up to examine the NDA government’s Citizenship (Amendment) Bill has cleared proposed changes to it. The amendments seek to introduce a religious criterion in the process of acquiring Indian citizenship, which is against the letter and spirit of the Constitution. These changes may have far-reaching repercussions, especially in Assam, where citizenship has always been a contested issue. Clause 6 talks about “constitutional, legislative and administrative safeguards” to “protect, preserve and promote the cultural, social, linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people”. In reality, the Assamese identity needs to be understood as a fluid category shaped by migrations and the vagaries of state-building.

Source: Indian Express January 04, 2019 18:33 UTC