Why there should be a fuss about CAA
With the President’s assent, the Citizenship Amendment Bill (2019) is now a law. BJP might project it as a major victory but the problematic nature of this bill goes beyond the aspect of religion and includes culture as well. The Modi-Shah duumivate tried to defend this bill on the grounds of helping those who have faced religious persecution in three neighbouring countries, but “religious persecution” is not present in the text of the bill. Yes, it is important for the government to look after those who had to leave their homeland to seek shelter and this bill will open a new chapter in many lives. But limiting it to Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh and not including Muslims and Athiests makes this bill very problematic. Pakistan does not identify Ahmadiyya muslims as a community, anti Ahmadiyya violence, anti Shia violence in Pakistan or the persecution of Atheists in Bangladesh present a different picture, In January 2013, Asif Mohiuddin, a self-styled atheist blogger (rational,