Jayesh, born on February 18, 2015, at the Gangabai Hospital on Natkhera Road in Lucknow, is not an Indian! He finds himself in a peculiar situation regarding his citizenship. Despite being born in Lucknow, his father, Sunil Kumar Madan and mother Kanta, who migrated from Ghotki, Pakistan, in 2009, are yet to secure Indian citizenship for Jayesh. Though Sunil and Kanta got their citizenship in December 2022, the process for Jayesh remains pending.
“Currently, my son is neither an Indian nor a Pakistani…he is yet to have a nationality despite being born in India. I hope the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) will bring him his citizenship as we don’t want to go back to Pakistan. Only small bureaucratic hurdles keep him away from being called a proud Indian,” said Sunil Madan, a resident of Sneh Nagar.
Similarly, Pahumal Batra and Ashoki Batra , who shifted to Lucknow from Sindh (Pakistan) along with family, are still awaiting citizenship for their daughters, Varsha, Akshara and son Harsh. Varsha is married and residing in Chhattisgarh.
“I was lucky to get the citizenship in December 2023. But my kids not getting citizenship is still a big question for me. I hope the CAA will help my kids become Indian citizens,” said Pahumal Batra.
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Sindhis who came from Pakistan alleged forced conversion and denial of freedom to practise their religion as reasons for leaving Pakistan.
The Union government on Monday issued rules for the CAA, four years after the controversial law was passed to fast-track citizenship to non-Muslims who entered India from three neighbouring countries — Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh — on or before December 31, 2014. The rules aim to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants – including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians.
Nanak Chand Lakhmani, Uttar Pradesh Sindhi Akademi chairman and a prominent Sindhi leader of UP, said: “The plight of people like Jayesh, Varsha, Akshara, Harsh, and many others highlights the challenges and bureaucratic hurdles embedded within the citizenship acquisition process. Despite being born in India or having lived here for decades, their citizenship status remains unresolved, affecting not only their own identities but also their families’ futures.”
Lakhmani said approximately 65 Sindhis residing in Lucknow are optimistic about their citizenship prospects with the enforcement of the CAA. “After the
government notified rules to enforce the CAA, Sindhis hope it will safeguard their religion, which faces threat in Pakistan. They believe that the CAA will pave way for a brighter future,” he said.
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He added, “Despite the potential benefits of CAA, the bureaucratic process for obtaining citizenship remains a challenge. The complexities and delays in the citizenship acquisition process is impacting the lives of many individuals.”
Banna Ram, a resident of Sukkhur (Pakistan), moved to Rae Bareli in 1987 when he was 19 years old. But he is still waiting to become an Indian citizen. “My wife is an Indian, my kids are Indian, but I remain a Pakistani citizen even though my passport is not reissued by Pakistan. With CAA in force, I hope I will not have to struggle for Indian citizenship. I have applied for citizenship a few times, but in vain,” he lamented.
Similarly, Kailash Haswani, who came to Lucknow from Sindh’s Ghotki district in Pakistan after facing pressure of conversion and extortion, said: “I got citizenship last year in December, but my 10-year-old daughter Heerbai is still not an Indian citizen.”
“For Sindhis, who endured threats to their religion and safety in Pakistan, the CAA comes as a ray of hope for a secure and prosperous future in India,” added Haswani.
Darshan Lal of Shivshanti Ashram on Kanpur road has been helping migrants get Indian citizenship by keeping their records and helping them filling online forms. He said, “Most of these people don’t even know the process of getting citizenship and what documents are required.”
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“We are thankful to the government for bringing CAA, which will help Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Jains living in Pakistan get Indian citizenship. We will keep on guiding migrants who come here hoping for a life in which they can freely practice their religion,” he said.
An official of the district administration said, “Some applications for citizenship are pending with us. Now under the CAA, the government aims to streamline procedures and ensure fair and timely processing of citizenship applications for deserving candidates.”
Applicants not required to present passports
* Members from Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh, Parsi or Jain communities can present “any document” that shows one of the parents, grandparents or even-great grandparents of the applicant was from one of the countries (where they came from) to prove their nationality.
* Earlier, the citizenship applications were made to the district collector. Now, the Empowered Committee will vet the applications for citizenship through the district-level committee.
* Under the new regulations, applicants are not required to present passports from Pakistan, Bangladesh, or Afghanistan. Instead, various documents such as birth certificates, educational institution records, identity documents, licenses, land or tenancy records, or any other official documentation issued by these nations, verifying the applicant’s former citizenship, are acceptable proofs of nationality.
* MHA has readied a portal for the convenience of applicants as the entire process will be online. Applicants will have to declare the year when they entered India without travel documents. The law itself says that benefits under CAA will be given to undocumented minorities from the three neighbouring countries.
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