On the eve of Ramadan, the Indian government notified the rules under the Citizenship Amendment Act, or CAA, which allows citizenship to individuals who migrated from neighbouring countries due to marginalisation based on their religious identity.
As expected, the announcement stirred controversy in India’s political sphere, especially on digital platforms, with renewed claims of injustice toward Indian Muslims. Influencers and journalists started tweeting along the same lines. However, even international news portals like Al Jazeera began covering the issue as breaking news.
It’s intriguing how certain groups attempt to portray the CAA as discrimination against Indian Muslims. What the Indian Islamist cabal and their allies like Al Jazeera conveniently ignore is that the CAA does not affect the citizenship of any Indian, including Indian Muslims. Tragically, the protests against the CAA plunged our nation into turmoil, with the violent Delhi riots scarring communities across the country. In the wake of this chaos, the nation grieved for the loss of Intelligence Bureau staffer Ankit Sharma, along with the other victims who died in the unrest. The fatalities reportedly included 38 Muslims and 15 Hindus, and many others sustained injuries, their lives forever altered by the senseless violence that tore through our streets.
I recall visiting the areas ravaged by riots and meeting women who had been forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in makeshift camps like the Eid Gah. Witnessing their plight first-hand was a stark reminder of the human cost of violence. It’s one thing to read about victims in the news or comment on social media, but meeting them face to face accentuates the profound devastation wrought upon their lives. You realise how interconnected these lives are and how easily they can be shattered by needless brutality.
In those moments, one cannot help but question the worthiness of the causes for which they suffered.
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Media fanning the flames
Many of the Delhi riot victims were not personally involved in any protests or politically motivated activities, yet they bore the brunt of the violence in both communities. The overwhelming sadness that gripped my heart made me ponder: How could individuals spread fear and propagate violence, sacrificing innocent lives for their own agendas?
The sight of Al Jazeera spreading misinformation and publishing articles with incendiary headlines—such as “India implements ‘anti-Muslim’ 2019 citizenship law weeks before election”— raises the same questions. It begs one to wonder: Does Al Jazeera seek to incite a recurrence of the horrific and tragic anti-CAA Delhi riots that claimed the lives of over 50 Indian citizens in 2020?
Such irresponsible reporting not only fuels tensions but also jeopardises the safety and stability of communities. The blatant dissemination of misinformation by the Qatari-state-owned outlet and others prompted the Government of India to debunk the falsehoods in circulation. The Press Information Bureau (PIB), a key agency under the Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry, had to tweet that the CAA would not revoke the citizenship of any Indian, regardless of religion.
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CAA is a beacon of hope
For me, the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is not just a legal document; it’s a reflection of humanity, compassion, and solidarity. As an Indian Muslim, I believe minorities in the country should welcome it wholeheartedly. We are blessed that we do not face persecution that would force us to flee from our country. But we must think about the Hindu, Sikh, Christian, and other minorities in our neighbourhood who are not as fortunate. Their very existence is fraught with danger, especially for their women. As an Indian Muslim woman, have I ever had to fear that I or my loved ones would be forcibly converted or subjected to such atrocities? Not even in my wildest dreams.
As an Indian and as a woman, I am compelled to stand up and speak out. We must support the CAA, not just as a legal statute, but as a beacon of hope for those who have been marginalised and persecuted. It’s a small but significant step toward creating a world where compassion triumphs over cruelty, and where every innocent human life is valued and protected.
We need to take the utterances of certain leaders, such as All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi, with a grain of salt. His recent tweets reflect a contradictory stance that seems to be more about political posturing than genuine concern. It appears that on some days, he asserts Indian Muslims have no association with Pakistani Muslims, while on others, he questions why Pakistani Muslims are not included in the benefits of CAA. This kind of duplicity may have worked in the past, but it’s becoming increasingly transparent to the Indian public. People are no longer willing to accept such double standards and inconsistent narratives.
It’s crucial to acknowledge that the average Indian Muslim cannot bear sole responsibility for their circumstances. However, we must also recognise our individual accountability for the choices we make. It’s easy to place trust in leadership figures and those who portray themselves as our saviours, but ultimately, no one understands our interests better than ourselves.
We cannot evade responsibility by blaming others for misleading or taking advantage of us. We must take ownership of our decisions and actions. Indian Muslims cannot disassociate themselves from Pakistani Muslims, and then protest when Pakistani Muslims are not granted the benefits of the CAA. As Indian Muslims, we must prioritise making informed choices rather than becoming pawns for anti-government lobbies or other forces that try and incite us to turn into mobs.
Amana Begam Ansari is a columnist and TV news panelist. She runs a weekly YouTube show called ‘India This Week by Amana and Khalid’. She tweets @Amana_Ansari. Views are personal.
(Edited by Asavari Singh)