The centre went on an overdrive to dispel fears regarding CAA and the proposed nationwide implementation of National Register of Citizens (NRC). Muslims fear that NRC will strip them of their citizenship and leave stateless.
Ministry of Home Affairs dispelled the fear of NRC
The MHA announced that no individual who was born or whose parents were born in India on or before July 1, 1987 would be considered an illegal immigrant. A senior office from MHA said that people born on or before the prescribed date would be considered Indians under naturalization as per the law.
There was no comment on nationwide implementation of NRC but the official said that there was no similarity between CAA and NRC in Assam because the cut-off date in NRC was 1971. The official said that there was no discussion on nationwide implementation of NRC.
2004 Citizenship Act Amendments
The amendments laid certain conditions for awarding citizenship. People that fulfil the following conditions are considered natural citizens of India.
• Born in the country on or after January 1, 1950 but before July 1, 1987
• Born in India on or after July 1, 1987, but before December 3, 2004, and where either parent is a citizen at the time of birth
• If born in India on or after December 3, 2004, to parents who are citizens or one of the parents is a citizen and the other is not an illegal migrant at the time of birth
“Those born outside the country on or after December 10, 1992, but before December 3, 2004, and whose parents were citizens of India by birth at the time of his or her birth are also Indians, as is anybody born in India on or after December 3, 2004, and if both the parents were citizens of India or one of them was a citizen and the other was not an illegal migrant at the time of his or her birth”
Protests against the amended act started in northeast before spreading to other parts of the country. So far, 11 lives are lost to the protests.
Source: https://bit.ly/2Mj0RLd