First CAA citizenship granted in Assam; AASU calls it 'betrayal' of Assam Accord
Guwahati, Aug 14: The Union Home Ministry has granted its first citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) to a Bangladesh national residing in Assam.
On Wednesday, Dulan Kumar Das, originally from Baragram in Sylhet district of Bangladesh, became the first individual in Assam to receive Indian citizenship through the CAA.
Das, who entered India illegally in 1988, reportedly due to religious persecution in Bangladesh, had been living in Silchar, Barak Valley, for nearly 36 years.
Despite his illegal status, Das managed to obtain an illegal voter card, PAN card, Aadhaar card, and driving license during his stay.
However, with his new status, all these documents will now be recognised as valid.
As per the CAA provisions, Das will be treated as an Indian citizen since 1988.
To complete the process, he must obtain a citizenship certificate from the Directorate of Census Operation headquarters in Guwahati.
Das is among ten migrants from Bangladesh who have applied for citizenship under the CAA.
Das received the news of his CAA application approval on August 14, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the Assam Accord, following the Assam Agitation a historic movement against illegal immigration in the state.
The decision has sparked strong opposition from certain quarters, particularly the All Assam Students Union (AASU).
The students’ body, which played a pivotal role in the Assam Agitation, expressed outrage over the granting of citizenship to a Bangladesh national, viewing it as a “betrayal of the Assam Accord”.
“Those 860 martyrs who lost their lives during the Assam Agitation have been betrayed again. The people of Assam have never accepted the CAA, and we never will. We will continue to fight this Act tooth and nail,” Utpal Sharma, President of AASU, told The Assam Tribune.
The granting of citizenship to Das has yet again brought the contentious issue of the CAA into the spotlight, reigniting debates between those who view it as a necessary step to protect persecuted minorities and opponents who see it as a violation of the Assam Accord, fearing it will open the floodgates for illegal migration.
