To
Additional
Director,
Lok
Sabha Secretariat,
Room
No. 317, 3 rd Floor,
Parliament
House Annexe,
New
Delhi – 110 001
Subject:
Views of Our Organization on Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2016
Dear
Sir,
We,
at the onset, with due respect, would like to assert that our organization
“Nikhil Banga Nagarik Sangha” is committed to uphold basic human rights of
people and therefore, has been working as a Human Rights Group ever from the
inception. From its formal inception on November 23, 1977, the organization has
been working on to establish human rights of minority people persecuted and
evicted from modern day Bangladesh.
We
would also like to thank the Joint Committee on the Citizenship Amendment, 2016
in unison for its noble gesture to seek our opinions on “Citizenship Amendment
Bill” introduced by the honorable Government of India.
Our
opinion has been aptly described in the following lines.
1) We do fail to affirm this bid to
render citizenship to assorted Bangladeshi minority groups like Hindus,
Christians and Buddhists through passing the Citizenship Amendment Bill and the
reasons to this are not far to see. According to our experiences and also
proficiency for decades, this would fail to put an end to the refugee crisis
categorically. This one-way traffic of hapless, persecuted Bangladeshi
minorities to the Indian mainland would go on for eternity. This approach, if
truth be told, would dampen the spirit of minorities inhabiting the Bangladeshi
soil further.
2) If the Bill is passed, the
success would enliven Bangladeshi minorities to enter the Indian mainland in
millions and Islamic atrocities on the remaining minority population still will
know no bounds.
3) Once the Bangladeshi minorities
receive the Indian certificate, they would lose their homeland as well as
professions irreversibly. Any such development would harm India also
disastrously since the nation would lose a large tract. Along with extreme
intensification of unemployment, law and order would lose its vitality and
would turn into a mockery of its own. Social discrimination or favoritism would
become order of the day. It’s already known how refugee colonies located at
areas outside Bengal have become worst victims to governmental indifference and
also prejudice.
4) Once the Bill is passed, no stone
would be left unturned to free the entire Bangladesh from minorities and as
soon as Bangladesh gets free of its minority citizens, Islamic terrorists would
start to rule the roost. Thus, Bangladesh would become a center of anti-India
actions and also forays, if necessary. Sovereignty of India would be challenged
at each time.
5) Any desire to provide Indian
citizenship to Bangladeshi Hindus would be tantamount to mass expulsion (and
even pogroms) of Hindus from there. The horrific consequence would fail to cope
with a democratic and secular country like India.
6) We do support civic rights of the
entire mankind but it’s a cruel truth that Bangladesh or (erstwhile) East
Pakistan has expelled (no less than) 3 crores and 80 lakhs of its legitimate
citizens out of hatred and inhuman persecution. Thus, it has crossed all
parameters of international human rights too. We do opine that there is an
urgent need to depict and also communicate these worst atrocities, human rights
violations across the globe and thus, form a global opinion against oppressors.
7) Our organization or Nikhil Banga
Nagarik Sangha fails to corroborate this momentary solution to end the
humongous crisis of humanity through providing Indian citizenship.
8) If India-Bangladesh amity is termed
as a yardstick, ongoing Hindu persecution in Bangladesh along with forcible
expulsion can’t be accepted ever.
9) If Bangladeshi minorities
stationed in India launch an apolitical movement demanding refugee status,
Bangladesh can’t deny it in any manner and shall be compelled to call the saga
of persecution a halt. Refugee crisis has originated in Bangladesh and hence,
its permanent solution can be found there only.
Vande Mataram
Bharat Mata ki Jai
Regards,
Subhash
Chakraborty
(General
Secretary, Nikhil Banga Nagarik Sangha)
Date:
October 25, 2016
