Agartala, July 16 (IANS) Amid the continuing nationwide debate over the documents required to establish Indian citizenship, Tripura has, for the first time, granted Indian citizenship to two persons under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), marking the legislation’s formal implementation in the state.
Director of Census Operations Ratan Biswas, who also serves as Chairman of the State‑Level Empowered Committee constituted for processing applications under the CAA, said around 23 applications have so far been received in Tripura, of which only two have been approved after completion of the prescribed verification process.
“As on date, we have granted citizenship to two persons. Around 23 applications have been received,” Biswas told the media while responding to questions during a press conference convened to brief on the upcoming Census 2027.
He clarified that the press conference was organised exclusively to discuss Census 2027, but as the competent authority overseeing CAA applications, he responded to queries regarding the status of citizenship applications.
Explaining the procedure, Biswas said the entire application process under the CAA is conducted online through the Central government’s designated portal, ensuring transparency and uniformity.
Every application is initially scrutinised by the District Level Committee (DLC). Applicants are called for physical verification of documents before their cases are forwarded for further examination.
The verified applications are subsequently examined by the State‑Level Empowered Committee (SLEC), which comprises representatives of the state government as well as officials from central agencies, including the Intelligence Bureau (IB), the Railways, and the Department of Posts. Only after all mandatory verifications, security checks, and scrutiny are completed in accordance with Central guidelines does the committee recommend eligible cases for approval, following which citizenship certificates are issued digitally.
According to official sources, the two applicants who have received Indian citizenship under the CAA are residents of the North Tripura district. They have been identified as Jhalak Das Chowdhury and Sima Rani Banik.
Following the grant of citizenship, one of the beneficiaries, Jhalak Das Chowdhury, reportedly met the District Magistrate of North Tripura to complete subsequent formalities for obtaining an Aadhaar card and other identity documents.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, enacted by Parliament in December 2019, provides a fast‑track route to Indian citizenship for eligible members of six non‑Muslim minority communities, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians, who migrated to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan before December 31, 2014, after allegedly facing religious persecution.
On March 11, 2024, the Centre notified the Citizenship (Amendment) Rules 2024.
The legislation had triggered widespread protests in several parts of the country, including Tripura, where many indigenous tribal organisations opposed the Act, expressing concerns that its implementation could alter the state’s demographic composition and adversely affect the interests of the indigenous population.
The issue subsequently emerged as one of the most significant political flashpoints in Tripura and contributed to the rise of the Tipra Motha Party, which is currently an alliance partner of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)‑led government in the state.
–IANS
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