‘Fled Bangladesh 20 Years Ago, Became Indian Citizen Yesterday’: CAA Applicant from Bengal Shares His Journey

Debiprasad Gain, 37, is now a proud citizen of India. He has been living in India for 20 years but became a citizen on Wednesday after the Union government started granting citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in West Bengal, Haryana and Uttarakhand. Gain is one of eight people in West Bengal to receive their citizenship documents from the Centre.

Speaking to News18, Gain, who fled to India to escape persecution in Bangladesh’s Khulna, said receiving the papers felt like being handed back his identity.

“The day we crossed the border after being tortured in Bangladesh, we felt some sense of comfort. But the uncertainty remained. Today, when I got the citizenship card in the mail, I was very happy. I have got my identity back,” he said.

Gain had his voter ID card and Aadhaar card already but those were not enough at the passport and immigration centres.

“We had to face humiliation in the passport office. One section of people also extorted us in various ways. Now, I am happy that future generations of my family will be secured. I want to thank Modi ji and Amit Shah ji,” he said.

Gain said he had applied for citizenship online 15 days ago. He said he submitted his Aadhar and voter ID details and proof that he is a Hindu, which he got from the Ramakrishna Mission. Gain added that once he uploaded the information, he was called on May 27 to the post-office for verification. His papers were checked and, after a brief wait, he got his certificate in the mail.

An elated Gain is now encouraging others like him to apply for citizenship, assuring them there is nothing to worry about as the process is simple. The 37-year-old told News18 that he wants to focus on his business now.

Seven people from North 24 Parganas, including Gain, and one from Nadia received their citizenship cards in West Bengal on Wednesday.

Speaking on the development in the midst of Lok Sabha elections, Sukanto Majumdar, state BJP chief, said: “No matter how much Mamata Banerjee says that she will not implement CAA, people of Bengal have started getting certificates. Thanks to Modi ji and Amit Shah ji for that.”

The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014.

The applicants in West Bengal, Haryana and Uttarakhand were granted citizenship on Wednesday by the respective State Empowered Committee, the Union Home Ministry said in a statement.

The first set of citizenship certificates after the notification of the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules, 2024, granted by the Empowered Committee, Delhi, were handed over to the applicants in New Delhi by the Union Home Secretary on May 15. This second tranche of citizenship certificates were issued on Wednesday, days before the final phase of voting for Lok Sabha polls on June 1.

Several constituencies in West Bengal will vote in the final phase on Saturday. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

Even though the CAA was enactment in 2019, the rules to grant citizenship under it was were issued on March 11 this year, after a delay of more than four years. The CAA rules envisage the manner of application form, procedure for processing applications by the District Level Committee (DLC), scrutiny and grant of citizenship by State Level Empowered Committee (SLEC).

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase, Results Date, Exit Poll And Much More At News18 Website