Devangshu Datta: Read Jana Gana Mana, in full
This Act is not only discriminatory and
deliberately crafted to exclude people born into faiths that the ruling
dispensation doesn’t like. It is also designed to create a sinkhole of
corruption, much larger and deeper than anything that India has experienced in
its long, corruption-riddled history. Our national anthem is
the first verse of a five-verse Brahmo hymn. The second verse goes, “Aharaha
Tabo Awhbhan Pracharito/ Shuni Tabo Udaar Bani/ Hindu Bauddho Sikh/ Jaino
Parasik/ Musalman Khristani/ Puraba Pashchimo Aashay / Tabo Singhasano Pashay /
Premoharo Hawye Gantha / Jano Gano Oikya Bidhyaka / Jaya Hey Bharata Bhagya
Bidhata.” A free translation:
“We hear your inclusionary call broadcast 24x7. We, Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs,
Jains, Parsis, Muslims and Christians come from East and West to pay homage at
your throne, and weave the garland of love. Victory to you, O Bringer of Unity
and Decider of India’s Destiny”.
That hymn was a
clarion call to patriotic Indians, whatever their religious beliefs, or lack
thereof. I last heard the song in its entirety at a Brahmo gathering a decade
ago. But the second verse and the three that follow, have been ear-worming me
ever since I read the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and understood the
implications of CAA being tied to the data suction exercises of the National
Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The CAA carefully
omits some of the religious groups mentioned in the hymn. The individuals who
drafted it, in the hopes of deciding India’s destiny, are definitely not
advocates of unity. Here’s a quick summary of how the NRC / NPR /CAA change the
state’s relationship with citizens.
Assuming the
government does implement these, everyone who lives in India will have to prove
they have lived in India for many years. Alternatively, they must prove that
their parents, or ancestors, lived in India prior to a certain date. If they can’t prove
this, and they want citizenship, they must claim to be refugees fleeing
persecution from one of three specific neighbouring countries. They must belong
to one of several specified religions to claim asylum under this
clause. They cannot claim to be refugees from any of five other
neighbouring nations, which have actually generated refugees in large numbers.
Nor can such
“refugees” claim to be born into any faith other than the ones specified in
CAA. Atheists are excluded even though atheists are persecuted in those three
countries (and arguably discriminated against in India). Brahmos are excluded
(unless we claim to be Hindus and we’ve fought legal battles to assert that we
are not). Animists are excluded and of course, Muslims are excluded.
So if you belong to one of the excluded communities, you may have been born in
Bhopal or Burdwan in a family that has lived there for generations. But you
will go crazy trying to prove it.
This Act is not only
discriminatory and deliberately crafted to exclude people born into faiths that
the ruling dispensation doesn’t like. It is also designed to create a sinkhole
of corruption, much larger and deeper than anything that India has experienced
in its long, corruption-riddled history. Consider the fact that
the NRC asks for documents most Indians don’t possess, to let them claim
citizenship. Lower income groups are even less likely to possess such
documents. Some of the document-deprived will be Muslims. But transgender
folks, nomadic peoples, tribals, dalits, landless labourers, urban migrants in
rented accommodation, etc., will all be sieved out, regardless of faith. Will
they therefore, all end up in camps?
Probably not. Don’t
underestimate the ingenuity of the average Indian and don’t underestimate the
enabling power of bribery. Hark back to demonetisation. All the wise men who
hailed that lunacy as a masterstroke confidently claimed vast quantities of
cash would not come back to the banking system. But all of the cash did come
back. People found ways to change notes and they were helped to do this, by
“money-changers” within the system who charged commissions.
The same thing will
happen with the alphabet soup of NRC, NPR and CAA except that this exercise
will deal in documents, not cash. Bribes will be paid. Documents will be
magically generated. If it happens at all, the alphabet soup will not only
cause endless misery. It will end up being a Rs 53,000 crore “cleansing” exercise
that makes the people implementing it much wealthier.
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