CAA Will Debunk Myth Of Massive Hindu Immigration: Assam CM

CAA News Guwahati: The Citizenship Amendment Act will very soon bust the myth of ‘lakhs and lakhs of Hindu immigrants in Assam’ often claimed by the opposition. This claim was made by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday. 

Stating that so far not a single application has been submitted in the Citizenship portal opened by the Ministry of Home Affairs after notifying the rules of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Chief Minister Sarma said that Assam is used only as a route to go to other parts of India. He also said that anyone whose name doesn't feature or who didn't apply for the NRC will not get citizenship. 

Sarma highlighted that the cutoff date for CAA was January 1, 2014, and those present in Assam before that date should have enrolled in the NRC. “The ecosystem of Assam is completely different. The CAA cutoff date is very clear 1.1.2014. So if someone was in Assam before 2014, they should have applied for enrollment in NRC. If they didn't apply for NRC they cannot apply for citizenship. It has already been four or five days now and not a single application has been submitted from Assam yet. This makes it very clear that the narrative of one crore Bangladeshi Hindus coming to Assam is a false narrative,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said. 

Additionally, the Assam CM Sarma pointed out that Assam's economic landscape differs significantly from other regions, with higher daily wages in places like Delhi and Gujarat. He further added, “Moreover, Assam is only a route to go to other places like Delhi, Gujarat. The daily wages in other parts of India are much higher than in Assam. So, why will they stay here?” 

He also pointed out that states like West Bengal and Bihar lacked systems such as the D-Voter (Doubtful Voter) and Foreigners Tribunal, making them more attractive destinations for migrants. “In West Bengal, there is no D-Voter (Doubtful Voter) system or any Foreigners Tribunal. In Bihar, there is no D-Voter. So, instead of staying here, they will shift to West Bengal or Bihar.” 

The Chief Minister highlighted that the prevailing narrative among CAA protesters suggested that large numbers of Hindu immigrants from Bangladesh would settle in Assam through CAA. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed confidence that once the citizenship process was completed, it would debunk the myths propagated by opposition parties and anti-CAA groups.