“The trajectory India has taken for itself; the minorities within India will suffer (unfortunately) and region may see more destabalization under RSS/BJP,” a South Asia expert says.
IRSHAD SALIM — Former Indian career international diplomat Shashi Tharoor opposes the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill moves by BJP-led government in India on grounds it “violates” the fundamental right to equality.
On Monday (Sovia Gandhi’s birthday), the senior Congress leader and Member of the Parliament submitted a notice in the Lok Sabha (Lower House) to oppose the Amendment to the Bill at the introduction stage.
The lawmaker from Kerala said in his notice that the Bill violates the Fundamental Right to Equality prescribed by Article 14 since it infringes upon the principle of “equality before law” and the “equal protection of laws” guaranteed to all persons, including non-citizens.
The ruling party’s move is expected to hit the floor this afternoon, and will be introduced for second voting in the Raj Sabha (Uppoer House).
Earlier on Sunday, Tharoor sounded alarm on the move saying the passage of the controversial Bill in Parliament would mark the victory of Pakistan founder Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s ideology over that of Mahatma Gandhi, which will reduce India to a “Hindutva version of Pakistan”.
The Bill seeks to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. It was cleared by the Union Cabinet on Wednesday.
The Bill had lapsed in the previous term of the Modi government due to massive protests in Rajya Sabha.
Earlier this year, Mr. Modi won a landslide victory in a highly polarized polls that saw India — the largest democracy in the world — start to lose its secular sheen with twin crest of Hindutva and border nationalism jettisoning Mr. Modi into a second stint in office.
Indian media hailed Modi win while others on global campus sounded alarm. Modi’s Second Win Dampens Struggle For India’s Soul, we wrote.
From the lede, India to many other observers is on the brink of re-birth as a Hindutva ideological state next to Muslim Pakistan.
“Today in India, Jinnah’s Two Nation Theory won by a landslide,” renowned Pakistani columnist and cultural writer Nadeem F Paracha (NFP) had tweeted while commenting on Modi’s second win.
In an interview with news agency PTI on Sunday, Tharoor accused the BJP-led NDA of singling out “one community” — Muslim refugees.
Tharoor opined that religion cannot be the basis of citizenship and by making it a part of the Bill, the BJP has paved the way for Jinnah’s idea of a nation — where religion would be intrinsic to nationhood — to take root in India. “The passage of this Bill will mark the definitive victory of Jinnah’s thinking over Mahatma Gandhi’s. How ironic that it should be the stridently chauvinistic BJP that ensures the final vindication of Mohammad Ali Jinnah,” the Congress leader said.
The Hindutva dye seems to being cast in sequel with Modi’s August 5 move upstaging Kashmir’s special status — the occupied Himalyan valley remains in lockdown and communication blackout for the last 126+ days.
“The trajectory India has taken for itself; the minorities within India will suffer (unfortunately) and region may see more destabalization under RSS/BJP,” a South Asia expert says.
The Amendment Bill to six-decade-old Citizenship Act is set to sail through smoothly in the Lok Sabha, as the BJP has 303 MPs in the 545-member House.
PM Modi on Monday wished Congress icon Sonia Gandhi on her birthday.
“Birthday wishes to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi Ji. Praying for her long life and good health,” Modi tweeted.
The writer is Editor/Publisher of DesPardes and PKonweb
