"These are 'new birth certificates'," Dayal Singh, a refugee from Pakistan, described the citizenship certificates issued to him, his son, and his daughter. Singh, 47, migrated from Pakistan with his family in 2013 and has lived in a shanty in North Delhi's Majnu-ka-Tilla since then.
On Wednesday, he was among the 14 people to be given the certificate under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The law grants Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
Singh's wife, Mira, is 40, and his other five children have yet to get their certificates, but she is happy that a part of the family is now 'Bharatiya Nagriks' (Indian citizens)."
"Our journey was filled with challenges due to the identity we carried with us. But now we are 'Bharatiya Nagriks'," said Mira while talking to PTI in the shanty that is part of a camp for refugees, some of whom stay in tents.
Many people are involved in odd jobs such as selling chips, other packaged food items, water bottles, and mobile phone covers on the roadside to make ends meet. "My father-in-law always used to say, 'One day we will be called Bharatiyas, and that will be the biggest day of our lives.' He died waiting for that day," Mira said. She added that he would be happy today.
She mentioned that every migrant family at the camp has endured years of hardship.
"Here, two or three families with 15-20 people live together in cramped conditions with minimal resources. We started getting our children married off quickly to secure their future," she said.
The Union home secretary handed over the citizenship certificates to Singh, his son Bharat Kumar, daughter Yashoda, and 11 others after their applications were processed online through a designated portal.
"It was a day of celebration," said Jhula Ram, who migrated from Pakistan's Sindh province.
A 58-year-old camp resident who did not want to be identified said, "We came here in 2015, and as per the CAA, only those who came to India on or before December 31, 2014, will get the CAA's benefits." Shantaram said, "Our people are being accepted and will no longer be called refugees. People call us Pakistani refugees, but now we will be called Indians. However, my family and I came in 2015."
"I run a shop here and am just making a living. I have 50 members in my family, and we are all in the same situation, not knowing what we will do," he said.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was passed in December 2019 to provide Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi, and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014.
After the act was passed, it received the president's assent. However, the rules outlining the process for granting Indian citizenship were issued on March 11 this year, following a delay of over four years.
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