NRC and CAB: Chanakya @Work?

The NRC (National Register of Citizens) was a list of the citizens of Assam (only). The road to the current Citizen Amendment Bill (CAB) began when the BJP decided to update the NRC for Assam. The intention was to identify all illegal immigrants who had entered after the Bangladesh war in ‘71.

Inconveniently for the BJP, the updated NCR found 60% of the illegal immigrants in Assam to be Hindus. The BJP had done something lawyers are taught not to do: Never ask a question you don’t already know the answer to.

But that’s law, and this was politics. And not for nothing is Amit Shah called admiringly (by the BJP’s supporters) the modern-day Chanakya. The surprise of the NRC findings led to a very calculated response that combined well established facts with the right’s worldview.

First, the facts. Fact #1: In 1950, Nehru and Pakistan’s head, Liaquat Ali Khan had agreed to protect and give full rights to the minorities of their respective countries. Fact #2: The Muslim percentage of the population of India has increased since then whereas the Hindu/Sikh percentage of Pakistan has declined to practically zero.

It is thus impossible to argue with the right’s conclusion that India has held its side of the Nehru-Liaquat agreement whereas Pakistan hasn’t. The right feels it “owes” to all those who were betrayed by Pakistan the right to Indian citizenship, i.e., the Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains and even Semitic Christians! But not Muslims because, hey, they can’t claim persecution in either Pakistan or Bangladesh. In legislation, this stance is what is called the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB).

The optics for India are great: India comes across as not only having done their share of the joint commitment at Partition but going the extra mile today to being so compassionate as to even take in “foreigners” from the persecuted religions from neighbouring countries.

On an ideological front (yes, the right has its ideology regardless of what the left says), this aligns with the right’s views on nations being based on ethnicity and religion. The icing on the cake? Taking in a few Christians who don’t fit in the ethnicity/religion umbrella wins India a few brownie points with the West.

On the political chessboard, the BJP then declared that the NRC and CAB would be extended to the entire nation. This will surely be fought by certain states and in the courts. Those who oppose it can be called anti-national and Muslim appeasers. With Article 370 and Ram Mandir addressed, has the BJP found a new issue to galvanize its vote bank?

Comments

  1. Ramiah KumarDecember 9, 2019 at 9:51 AM

    Well presented.

    The issue is a vexing one. The illegal immigration is a monstrosity of a problem for India. It HAS to be addressed. No matter how it is addressed, there will be critics, which is not the problem really. Critics have to be part of any democracy. The real problem today in India (and all over the world) is - dirty politics takes over soon and people are governed by unreasonable sentimental sways.

    Ultimately, what Seshan declared which can be paraphrased as, "There has to be voter identity. Otherwise close down the show!" is relevant always! I didn't believe then that India could either afford the cost nor there will be political acceptance even to a degree. But this nation pulled it off actually. Not just that, it has even a vastly better conceived Aadhar in place, despite politics going on still on it. So, the truth is: we must venture.

    Even without knowing some points of this blog that are new to me, I was/am ALL FOR curbing refugee influx, which is more difficult to control here than USA.

    As usual, I find the finish holding wisecrack genre that this blog writer has consistently shown. Copying verbatim: "On the political chessboard, the BJP then declared that the NRC and CAB would be extended to the entire nation. This will surely be fought by certain states and in the courts. Those who oppose it can be called anti-national and Muslim appeasers. With Article 370 and Ram Mandir addressed, has the BJP found a new issue to galvanize its vote bank?" This carries intrinsic truth, beyond just wisecrack or ironic humor.

    At this moment, things are not going all that well for the central government and the party on which it is riding. I mean - except for the issues of the nationality kind. Not because of fear of being labeled "anti-national" but because I ACCEPT IT, I say this, "We should go ahead with all the steps needed to ensure that illegal immigration will be stopped. Any fanatical assertions of Muslims/Christians that are uncaring self-contentedness must also be curbed. Not much scope to see these in different light, unless one wants to politic!

    One point still holds for me. I unable to believe that "End justify the means". I am still dreaming, "Irrespective of circumstances, there is never need to let go of humanitarian values too much". But then, I am free to dream - it costs nothing! :-)

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