The first individual to obtain Indian citizenship in Assam is originally from Bangladesh who now resides there, according to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) of the Union government. Through the CAA, Dulan Kumar Das, who was born in the Sylhet area of Bangladesh, became the first person in Assam to get Indian citizenship.

citizenship in Assam
Image Source: Centre for Study of Society and Secularism

Dulan Kumar Das, who had been residing in Barak Valley for about 36 years, was said to have entered India illegally from Bangladesh as a result of religious persecution. Only one individual in Assam has been granted Indian citizenship, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed the media on Wednesday. However, the All Assam Students' Union (AASU), which opposes the CAA, said that 20 lakh Bangladeshis will be granted citizenship status.

Online Application Process for Citizenship in Assam Under CAA

"We were waiting for that figure which was claimed by AASU. At that time AASU said that lakhs of people were waiting to enter Assam. Are they not ashamed yet? They had made publicity in Assam that 20 lakh people will come to Assam. Now they are talking about only one, where is one and where is 20 lakh. In the next year when AASU will observe Swahid Divas, we will observe Fraud Day. How they destabilized a good-running government by making the people of Assam agitate. If there had been no CAA agitation at that time in Assam, a lot of work would have been done in Assam. They should apologise today," CM Sarma said.

On the other hand, Samujjal Bhattacharya, Chief Advisor of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) said that - "We will not accept CAA. A case is in the Supreme Court."

citizenship in Assam
Image Source: Simple Wikipedia

"They passed the CAA in the parliament as they had the numbers and imposed it upon us, we will never accept it. The democratic movement in Assam and North East and legal fight in the Supreme Court will be continued," Bhattacharya said.

Applications for Indian citizenship must be made entirely online using a web site that the government has set up, and those who meet the requirements of CAA-2019 may do so through the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024. The Citizenship Amendment Act's implementation guidelines were announced by the Center on March 11.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, aims to provide Indian citizenship to refugees who sought safety in India before to December 31, 2014, as a result of religious persecution of six minority populations in three neighboring countries: Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

The CAA offers refugees "who have suffered for decades" a decent existence by removing legal obstacles to citizenship and rehabilitation.

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