Afghan Sikhs in India welcome passage of Citizenship Bill in parliament's lower house

Record ID: 1447619

  • Title: Afghan Sikhs in India welcome passage of Citizenship Bill in parliament's lower house
  • Date: 11th December 2019
  • Summary: LUDHIANA, PUNJAB, INDIA (DECEMBER 11, 2019) (ANI - NO USE INDIA) AFGHANI SIKH REFUGEES INCLUDING, SHAMI SINGH (LIGHT BLUE TURBAN) AND RANJIT SINGH (BLACK TURBAN) SITTING WITH THEIR PASSPORTS PASSPORT IN HANDS OF SHAMI/SHAMI LOOKING ON WOMAN SHOWING HER PASSPORT RANJIT AND A WOMAN SHOWING THEIR PASSPORTS WOMEN SHOWING PASSPORTS/MAN LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) AFGHANI SIKH REFUGEE, SHAMI SINGH, SAYING: "We are very happy that Amit Shah (Indian Interior Minister) talked about the (Citizenship Amendment) Bill in the parliament and got it passed (for) the Afghani, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sikhs, Hindus, and Parsis. We are very happy today that we can't express it (earlier) when we came from Afghanistan and were roaming here and there and we didn't know where we going." WOMAN SHOWING HER PASSPORT PASSPORT MAN AND WOMAN SHOWING PASSPORTS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) AFGHANI SIKH REFUGEE, RANJIT SINGH, SAYING: "We want to say that we want to request that they let the bill pass. The opposition should help us and not oppose it. We want to live here so they should also help us and get this bill passed." VARIOUS OF REFUGEES SHOWING PASSPORTS
  • Embargoed: 25th December 2019 07:04
  • Keywords: Afghani Sikhs Citizenship AmendmentBill India Ludhiana Rajya Sabha refugees
  • Location: LUDHIANA, PUNJAB, INDIA
  • City: LUDHIANA, PUNJAB, INDIA
  • Country: India
  • Topics: Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001B9J6EZ3
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Sikh families from Afghanistan living in India on Wednesday (December 11) expressed their happiness over the passage of a bill aimed at giving citizenship to religious minorities persecuted in neighbouring Muslim countries.
    The controversial Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) was passed in the lower house of the Indian parliament on Monday (December 9).
    CAB was first introduced in 2016 by the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi but was withdrawn after an alliance partner withdrew support and protests flared in India's remote and ethnically diverse northeastern region. It proposes to grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslims who came to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan before 2015.
    Afghani Sikh refugees who fled Afghanistan claim they were not treated well there. With the passing of the Bill, they are hopeful it will give them citizenship and help them live better lives.
    The Bill has to be now passed by the upper house. Any bill needs to be ratified by both houses of the Indian parliament to become a law.
  • Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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