Supreme Court to Hear PLea Seeking Inclusion of CAA Applicants, in Voter Lists

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to consider a plea by the NGO aatmadeep seeking the inclusion of a person belonging to the persecuted  minorities like Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, parsis and Jains in neighbouring in the voter lists, even while their application for Indian Citizenship are pending.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice  Joymalya Bagchi posted the matter for hearing on December 9.Along with petitions challenging the Special Intensive revision (SIR) of the west Bengal voter list. Senior advocate Karuna Nundy appeared for the NGO.

The plea stated that there are around 50,000 applicants who entered India on or before December 31,2014 and are eligible for protection under the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) 2019.

Ab NGO has raised alata over delays in issuing Citizenship certificates under section 6B of the Citizenship Amendment Act. Stating that many applicants have yet to receive their registration Certificate.

The organization warned that the delay along with non- recognition of a acknowledgement receipt during the ongoing Special Intensive revision (SIR) has created a "Serious constitutional crisis." Already recognized by Parliament as persecuted minorities from Afghanistan, Bangladesh,and Pakistan entitled to protection and Integration – now face the risk of stateless social exclusion and Disenfranchisement .

According to reports,Laturam Sikdar and his wife, Padmadevi, once lived in Bangladesh, where rising persecution by extremist groups left them with no choice but to flee. They crossed into India without documents and began a new life in Nadia district of West Bengal, eventually obtaining Adhaar cards through unofficial means to navigate daily survival.

Their fragile sense of security began to unravel whenever the (SIR) exercise was launched. Knowing that their names had never appeared on the 2002 voters' list, the couple feared they would be identified as foreign nationals and struck off the electoral rolls, reopening the uncertainty they had long tried to escape.

Responding to the Union Government call, Laturam and Padmadevi applied for citizenship under the CAA in October. To their immense relief, they received their official citizenship certificate on November 19. After years of living in the shadows the couple finally secured legal Identity and recognised in India.

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