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A nation at war cannot ignore internal threats. Operation Sindoor has shown that India’s conflict extends beyond Pakistan and China, involving a critical “2.5 front” challenge. It’s urgent to integrate this internal front into our defense strategy, prevent illegal immigration through systemic loopholes, and openly address this threat. Now is the time to revive the discussion on CAA-NRC, not to divide, but to strengthen border security.
Passed in December 2019, The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was brought in to fast-track Indian citizenship for religious minorities escaping persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, provided they had arrived in India before 2015. Alongside this, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) was meant to verify who is a legal citizen and who isn’t. Starting with Assam, where it was first rolled out.
However, both measures sparked huge public outcry and widespread protests across the country. Many people feared that these laws, especially when combined, might unfairly discriminate particularly against Muslims and leave some genuine citizens without any citizenship at all.
Critics argued that this goes against India’s idea of secularism and violates the guarantee of equal treatment under Article 14 of The Constitution of India. In Assam, the worry wasn’t just about religion, many people feared the NRC would change the region’s delicate demographic balance by allowing more immigrants to stay.
Protests began in Assam in December 2019, spread across states, and sadly turned violent, claiming over 80 lives. In response, the government promised safeguards and paused the rollout, leaving this critical framework incomplete even today. Coming back, so why is inaction so dangerous now?
Because we simply don’t have reliable data on who lives in this country giving illegal immigrants plenty of room to slip in, strain resources and pose risks like demographic and security threats like espionage and sabotage. Without something like the NRC in place, we have no proper way to tell loyal citizens apart from infiltrators and that’s a risk India can’t afford anymore.
When the Election Laws (Amendment) Bill was introduced in 2021, Shashi Tharoor made an important point in the Lok Sabha. He rightly argued that Aadhaar was designed as proof of residence, not citizenship.
More recently, even the Supreme Court, while suggesting that the ECI could consider using documents like Aadhaar, electoral photo ID cards, or ration cards for voter verification, stressed that this is about confirming a person’s identity and not their citizenship status.
This ongoing confusion between identity and citizenship is exactly why India must revisit CAA-NRC debate. These measures are not about targeting any community but about securing the nation and putting our citizenship records in order.
The CAA gives legal refuge to those who have genuinely fled religious persecution, staying true to India’s humanitarian principles. The NRC, on the other hand, is a fundamental tool for any sovereign nation to maintain an accurate list of its citizens.
Unless infiltrators can merge seamlessly into the population, acquire legitimate documents, and even pass on sensitive information. In this era of digital warfare and intelligence networks, India’s vulnerabilities no longer stop at its borders; they also lie in our failure to maintain clear and verified citizenship records. Strengthening these safeguards is not about communal politics, it is plain common sense for national security.
Fact is that the initial push to roll out the CAA and NRC stirred genuine fears, especially among the poor and marginalised who worried they might be wrongfully excluded or harassed due to gaps in their paperwork. Poor communication and deliberate misinformation only deepened this mistrust.
Yet, scrapping the entire effort is not the answer. What is needed instead is a clear, fair, and transparent process that reassures every genuine citizen. Well-defined rules, accessible legal aid, and local support centres must help people gather the necessary documents and navigate the system without fear.
A robust grievance redressal mechanism should be in place to ensure that no one is unfairly targeted or left unheard. Above all, national security must never override the principle of justice: both can, and must, work hand in hand.
Going forward, the government must approach it with greater clarity, empathy, and commitment. A nationwide information campaign should lay out who is eligible, what documents are needed, and how protections will work in practice.
Local help centres must reach those most at risk of falling through the cracks, ensuring that no legitimate Indian is pushed aside for lack of paperwork. Clear timelines, accessible legal aid, and a fair appeal system must form the backbone of this framework.
This is not only vital for India’s security, but also for preserving the trust of every citizen who rightfully calls this country home. Thus we can no longer fight blindfolded. It’s time to know our own, and protect what is truly ours.
These pieces are being published as they have been received – they have not been edited/fact-checked by ThePrint.