Bangladesh: Minority groups welcome CAA, release joint statement in appreciation of it

Several organizations in Bangladesh have described the Citizenship Amendment Act as a humanitarian move. These groups represent a religious and ethnic minority.

The minority groups which welcomed the Indian Government’s move are Bangladesh Minority Coalition (USA), Bangladesh Minority Rights Alliance (Canada), Bangladesh Minority Council (Switzerland), Bangladesh Hindu Coalition (USA) and Bangladesh Hindu Buddhists Christan Unity Council (France).

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These groups told news agencies that, through the law, India has partially fulfilled its duty towards hundreds of thousands of non-muslims from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh who were dwelling in India but could not claim their rights.

In a released joint statement, these groups said, “Through this Act, India has partially fulfilled its duty to the millions of non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who had to flee to India in recent years but could not claim their rights in India. CAA has given them the right.”

“We, the expatriate Hindus and other religious and ethnic minorities of Bangladesh living around the globe fully support the Citizenship Amendment Act (2019) passed by the Parliament of India. This is a humanitarian act towards humanity” they added.

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Pro-CAA rally in America

On December 22, a large number of Indian-Americans participated in a rally in support of the new citizenship act passed by the Indian Parliament. News reports said the objective of the rally was to counter the “misconception about the CAA incited by the Islamic groups in India”.

The organizers told agencies that the rally was aimed at “dispelling the misinformation and myths” surrounding the law as well as to counter the propaganda of hate, lies and downright absurdities.

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Minorities face huge discrimination in Pakistan

In Pakistan, religious minority groups face huge discrimination by the state. As per the notable news organization 15,000 people belonging to minority communities have been charged under blasphemy law in the last 30 years.

What is CAA?

CAA is a new citizenship act passed by both houses of the Indian parliament according to which persecuted religious minority groups including Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Jains, Christians, and Buddhists from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh can apply for Indian citizenship in case they came to Indian before December 31, 2014.