The Assam government has decided to drop legal cases against Hindus, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, and Parsis who entered the state by December 31, 2014, under the Foreigners’ Tribunal system. This decision is said to be based on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Following Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s directive, a meeting was held on July 17 to discuss the exclusion of specific cases related to foreign tribunals and the CAA.
The Assam government aims to expedite citizenship for refugees from six minority religious communities from Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, except for Muslims who entered India before 2015. The Foreigners’ Tribunal in Assam acts as a quasi-judicial body, determining citizenship based on family lineage and documentation that dates back to 1971.
Recent criticism has arisen regarding these tribunals, which have been accused of being arbitrary and biased, sometimes labeling individuals as foreigners over minor mistakes, missing documents, or memory lapses. Reports indicate that among the approximately 160,000 people declared foreigners, over 69,500 are Hindus.
The border police and the department overseeing foreign tribunals have been instructed to submit reports on the matter to district authorities, including Deputy Commissioners and Police Superintendents. According to the meeting minutes, the decision has been made to dismiss cases involving foreigners from the specified six communities who entered Assam before December 31, 2014.
District commissioners and senior police officers are expected to meet with tribunal members to review the progress of citizenship applications and submit reports on actions taken. Additionally, it has been stated that district authorities should encourage and assist foreigners in applying for Indian citizenship through the CAA.
The Assam government has explicitly directed the withdrawal of all cases against individuals from the Gorkha and Koch-Rajbanshi communities, which must be adhered to immediately. In July 2024, it was ordered that cases against illegal Muslim immigrants entering India before 2014 should not be forwarded to foreign tribunals. Instead, border police have been instructed to advise undocumented entrants from six communities to apply for citizenship through the CAA portal, with their cases pending a decision from the central government. Chief Minister Sarma has previously mentioned that existing cases will not be disregarded, raising questions about the government’s motivations ahead of the elections.
Critics argue that the CAA violates the Assam Accord of 1985, which stipulates the identification and deportation of anyone entering Assam after March 24, 1971. Assamese nationalists view all “illegal immigrants” as a threat to the culture and resources of the state, regardless of religion.
Protests against the CAA erupted in Assam and other parts of India in 2019 and 2020, although the state’s Bengali Hindus have welcomed it. In August 2019, Assam released the National Register of Citizens to differentiate between Indian citizens and undocumented migrants, resulting in over 1.9 million individuals being excluded from the final list. By March 2024, an additional five lakh Bengali Hindus, Assamese Hindu groups, Koch-Rajbanshis, and others had been excluded from the NRC.
Original Source: https://assam.nenow.in/caa-assam-foreigners-tribunal-cases-withdrawal-non-muslim-minorities/
Category: অসম,দেশ,শীর্ষ সংবাদ
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Publish Date: 2025-08-06 13:26:00
