Another Silchar Resident Gain Indian Citizenship Under CAA

A Silchar resident of the surname Das has become the second individual in Assam to secure Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) of 2019. This landmark development took place on Wednesday, January 8, 2025, following a successful online application.

The applicant and his elder brother, Dulan Das, originally from Borogram in Bangladesh’s Sylhet district, migrated to Assam due to religious persecution. Dulan Das, residing in India, particularly Silchar, since June 1988, made history as the first in Assam and northeast to gain citizenship under the CAA on August 14, 2024. His younger brother has now followed suit, aided by lawyer Dharmananda Deb, who outlined the six key criteria required under the CAA process.

According to lawyer Dharmananda Deb, six criteria must be met to secure citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

First, applicants must provide proof of being from Bangladesh or one of the specified countries. Both Das brothers, Dulan Das and his younger sibling, demonstrated their Bangladeshi citizenship through a 1986 land record. The document showed their father had purchased a plot of land in Bangladesh from Abdul Rabb, thus confirming their origins.

Second, they must establish that they entered India before 31 December 2014. The brothers submitted Aadhaar cards, voter ID cards, and land records from Silchar to substantiate this. Additionally, a certified copy of the 2007 Voters List confirmed their presence in India well before the cutoff date.

Third, a character certificate is required from an Indian citizen, such as a neighbour or acquaintance.

Fourth, applicants identifying as Hindus must provide a certificate from a Hindu temple. For Dulan Das, this came from Silchar Satsang Ashram, while his younger brother received his certification from Kachakanti Mandir in Udharbond.

Fifth and sixth, two affidavits are necessary. The first affidavit declares the applicant’s arrival in India seeking refuge, and the second affirms they faced religious persecution. Both affidavits were prepared with assistance from their lawyer, Dharmananda Deb.

By fulfilling these requirements, both brothers successfully advanced their citizenship applications and became Indian.

Unlike Dulan Das, who obtained his certificate offline from the Census Registration Office in Guwahati, his brother benefited from the online system, accessing his citizenship certificate conveniently from home.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) of 2019 provides a fast-tracked path to citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, or Christians who arrived in India by December 31, 2014 from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. If anyone from these countries and religious groups comes to India due to religious persecution, they can get citizenship under the CAA.