Who is a Citizen?

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC)
have ignited a fire in the soul of India—a fire that burns away
the veneer of secularism, exposing the fractures beneath.
In a nation that once prided itself on "सर्वधर्म समभाव" (equal respect for all religions),
these laws ask a harrowing question: Who truly belongs here?

The CAA, passed in 2019, offers fast-track citizenship to persecuted
minorities from neighboring countries—but only if they are not Muslim.
This selective kindness is a betrayal of India’s constitutional promise —
Article 14’s guarantee of equality, Article 15’s prohibition of religious discrimination,
and the very spirit of  “वसुधैव कुटुम्बकम"  (the world is one family).
By excluding Muslims, the law whispers a dangerous truth: In this new India,
citizenship is a privilege of faith, not a right of birth.

And then comes the NRC—a bureaucratic storm threatening to render millions stateless.
In Assam, families, both Hindu and Muslim,
were forced to prove their Indianness with documents many did not possess.
But the CAA offers a safety net—but only for non-Muslims.
The message is clear: A Muslim’s home in India is conditional.

Yet, the streets of India roared in resistance.
From the fiery nights of Shaheen Bagh, where Muslim women,
wrapped in the cold and courage, sat for months
chanting “ हम भारत के नागरिक हैं!" ( We are citizens of India! ),
to students across universities raising their voices—India witnessed an
uprising of conscience. These protests were not just against a law;
they were a fight for the soul of a nation.  






Today, the question lingers:
Can a nation call itself secular when its laws divide by faith?
Can it claim democracy when it asks its people to prove their existence? 
The CAA and NRC are not just policies—they are an erasure. 
And as long as India’s Muslims must fight to be seen as equal citizens, 
the dream of a truly secular India remains unfinished.


“जब जुल्म बढ़ेगा, जब ज़ंजीरें कसेंगी,
हम और बुलंद होंगे, हम और जुड़ेंगे।"

(When oppression grows, when chains tighten,
We will rise louder, we will unite stronger.)


The struggle continues. The question remains. Who is an Indian? 
The answer must be—everyone who calls this land, home.





                                                                          






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