CAB & scoring 21 out of 25 ?

Free Thinker *

Students/ Women Vendors protest against Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) at Khwairamband on 15 January 2019 :: Pix - Shankar Khangembam

When I first came across the abbreviation CAB in the local media, I could not comprehend what exactly it stands for? Later I came to know that CAB stands for -The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016. So, CAB has become a burning issue in the entire Northeast.

All over the world citizenship is still a crucial issue for human beings. Even the most liberal democracies are stingy about their citizenship. We have the glaring example of the USA; many Americans think that the immigrants (later becoming citizens) have eaten up their economy and they are virtually running the American economy.

You know why the majority of the people of the United Kingdom wants to leave the European Union; again, it is economics stupid. The immigrants from eastern Europe have entered the UK as cheap wage earners and they gradually get absorbed into the British society; it sparks off a bigger socio-politico-economic dynamic detrimental to the natives. Moreover, the British economy has been wavering because of EU paraphernalia.

It is quite natural for human beings to run towards the more prosperous parts of the world. The shifting of population from the villages to the cities and also the migration from the poor countries to the affluent countries is quite natural because human beings want better life – more comfort, amenities, facilities. Many Indians have gone to the United States, Canada, UK etc. in search of prosperity and better opportunities. Like wise numerous people of Bangladesh have entered India in quest of livelihood and jobs.

Everyone knows that we can buy citizenship of some countries if we have enough money. For instance, if you have 10 million Canadian dollar you can settle in Canada instant and at the same time acquire their citizenship. Many countries invite rich people to come and settle in their countries. In the countries like Montenegro, Latvia, Greece, Norway and even UK you can acquire citizenship by making huge payments. If I am wrong, I may be corrected accordingly.

There is a broader idea of unification of the entire sub-continent, some call it Akhund Bharat , some called it pan-Indian , others call it pax- Hindustan. If we come together the USA or China will become number 2 and 3 in all respects within a few decades.

Unification of India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan (parts) may change the entire global dynamics will change. It sounds utopian because we are still trapped in the matrix of religious and racial divide. CAB is also a manifestation of that matrix.

It seems to me the tribals and the indigenous people are not happy about this new citizenship law; they have the apprehension that they may have been swayed away by the immigrants from a nonboring country. Rohingyas from Myanmar might have entered Bangladesh in lakhs and they may become Hindus or Christians to enter India. History had witnessed mass conversions.

The House of the People have passed the Citizenship Amendment Bill. The upper house which has a greater number of erudite and scholars are yet to deal with this Bill. Perhaps this law is very well designed to accommodate the 30 lac (NRC suspected) people in Assam.

Now most of them may become either Hindus or Buddhists, Sikhs or Parsis, Jains or Christians. Physical examination is demeaning and shall be exempted once they claim themselves as Hindus. Biswas ji do you have the biswas that you will get a good score in 2019 exam by bring this law. I doubt.

The new citizenship law would make it easy for minorities (Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Buddhists and of course Hindus) of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan to get Indian citizenship. They would become eligible for citizenship after residing in India for six years.

One gentleman who believes in Akhand Bharat was asked, what about the Muslims from these countries? His reply was they have many other countries to go but the Hindus have only one country to come that is Bharat? I think they can come to Nepal also, the only Hindu nation in the world.

Rio, Conard, Zoram and even our Biren ji have expressed their views on this; now the ball is with the Centre. In the name of accommodating Hindu Bangladeshis, the entire NE may become a dumping ground of all kinds of illegal migrants; that is the apprehension of the indigenous people of the entire Northeast. Who will check migrants physically, if checked physically who will check the bribes for not checking physically? Rohingyas may become Buddhists of Bangladesh any time, who knows?

A clause, “this law shall not apply in the NE States” in the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill ,2016 may save the day (i.e., the counting day of 2019 election). If not let it be entangled in the quagmire of the Upper House. A free thinker who is supposed to be universal in approach behaving like a parochialist is disgraceful. But what to do? Motherland has to be protected?