K. Krishnasamy, founder of Puthiya Tamilagam, an ally of the BJP, plans to organise pro-CAA/NRC meetings in 100 places in Tamil Nadu and a few in New Delhi from February 15. The first meeting will be in Tiruchi.
“The CAA is a necessity where illegal immigration in the East and West has become a cause of concern — quantitative change in population will lead to qualitative change. Only illegal immigrants living in India need to worry about CAA. The Indian Muslims have nothing to worry, The BJP leaders have failed to explain to the people about the history and genesis of the issue. NRC should have been done as soon as India got independence from the British,” he said on Friday.
Asked if it was fair to deny citizenship to persecuted Muslims of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, Dr. Krishnasamy told The Hindu, “This is not a law that gives citizenship to new people who have come to India illegally after December 31, 2014.” He claimed to have been supporting citizenship for persecuted minorities of Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The Sri Lankan Tamils are not ‘illegal immigrants’ or those who have come here for livelihood. “It is a temporary arrangement – they are not seeking Indian citizenship. It doesn’t apply to them,” he said.
He was not in favour of granting citizenship to Rohingya Muslims, who are also facing violence and discrimination from Buddhists majority in Myanmar. “Why should they be given citizenship? They don’t have any roots in India unlike Christians, Jains and Buddhists from Pakistan and Bangladesh,” he contended.
According to him, the National Population of Register is a necessary, even if painful, exercise but the bureaucracy should take care while vetting documents.
“It is a fact that getting a ration card or a community certificate is a problem in India. Corruption is everywhere. The Central government has a responsibility to resolve this. The Muslims in India who have lived here for so long in India will have enough and more documents to prove that they are Indians and have lived here for long. Centre has already allayed people’s fear that there is no need for their parent’s birth certificate,” he said.
