Foreign Ministry spokesperson’s statement revives debate over controversial CAA
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — The statement of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) that India will ensure the safety of Hindus and Sikhs amidst deteriorating situation in Afghanistan has drawn flak from observers and renewed criticism of the controversial citizenship amendment Act (CAA).
“Women in Afghanistan, activists, journalists, etc. all stand to be persecuted by the Taliban. But being Muslims, they’ll be excluded by India’s Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA),” journalist Zeba Warsi wrote on Twitter. “Now does it seem right for a democratic India to exclude people on the basis of religion?”
Though India’s outreach to the Afghan Hindus and Sikhs is not tied to CAA as the cut-off date for granting citizenship to the refugees in December 2014, Warsi added, “But as an idea – in principle – is it fair considering the current events unfolding in our neighbouring country”.
The Hindu reported that Arindam Bagchi, MEA spokesperson, told a press conference on Thursday that India was keenly watching the situation in Afghanistan he added: “We have facilitated the return of a large number of members of the Hindu and Sikh communities last year. Our mission continues to remain in touch with them and we will ensure the provision of all necessary assistance to them.”
Bagchi’s statement sparked critical reactions from observers who slammed the Modi government for excluding members of Muslim community and other groups who fear the incoming Taliban rule in the country from the relief net including visas and evacuation.
“Wow, after the murder of Danish, this is like painting a target on any Afghan Hindu or Sikh, even if there was a slim chance that they might be safe. Just to serve a divisive domestic agenda,” Omar Ahmad said, referring to the killing of Danish Siddiqui, Reuters photojournalists during clashes between Taliban fighters and government forces in Spin Boldak, Kandhar last month.
Author Mohamed Zeeshan, who keeps a keen eye on India’s foriegn policy matters, said that by excluding Muslims the Modi government “has taken Hindutva’s communal agenda to Afghanistan under the garb of ‘humanitarianism’”.
“The Taliban are harassing everybody. Just as every Hindu doesn’t want to live in a Hindu Rashtra, every Afghan Muslim doesn’t want Taliban!” he wrote on Twitter.
On August 10, Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill had written to the MEA to ensure the safety of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan.
Over the past few days the situation in Afghanistan quickly escalated, mounting uncertainty as the Taliban made vast gains capturing 26 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals.
On Sunday, Reuters reported that the United States evacuated diplomats from its embassy by helicopter as President Biden authorised sending 5000 troops for the job.
Meanwhile, a Pakistani diplomat in Kabul announced that the country was “specially facilitating visas for Afghan journalists & families in this period of uncertainty.”
