New Delhi: The Modi Government in New Delhi on Wednesday decided to grant citizenship to around one lakh Chakma and Hajong refugees living in Arunachal Pradesh since last five decades.
The decision has been taken after a high-level meeting among Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Minister of Home for State Kiren Rijiju, Arunachal’s CM Pema Khandu and the National Security Advisor Ajit Doval yesterday.
The Supreme Court of India had in 2015 directed the government to grant citizenship to the Chakma and Hajong refugees. Chakmas and Hajongs were originally residents of the Chittagong Hill Tracts in erstwhile East Pakistan. While the former are Buddhists, later are Hindus.
They had left their homeland when it was submerged by the Kaptai dam project in the 1960s and entered India through Mizoram - then Lushai Hills district of Assam.
The government decision to grant citizenship to Chakma and Hajong refugees come at the time when the Modi government is being slammed at International fora because of its decision to deport Rohingya refugees who are mostly Muslims.
The Indian government considers Rohingya Muslim refugees as illegal immigrants and has planned to deport them. Indian government says Rohingya refugees may be roped in by terrorist groups and may create a security issue.
The Rohingyas on the other hand informed the Supreme Court that branding them terrorists is unfair and discriminatory. They also informed the country's top court that they are under the continuous surveillance and there is not a single terrorist among them.
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