A groundbreaking development in Assam's citizenship landscape has unfolded, with a woman becoming one of the first two individuals to be granted Indian citizenship under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act 2019. This brings the total count of people receiving citizenship under this Act to four in Assam, as confirmed by their lawyer.
But here's where it gets controversial...
The senior advocate, Dharmananda Deb, who had previously served as a member of the Foreigners' Tribunal in Silchar, shared the story of this 40-year-old woman from Bangladesh's Chittagong. She entered India in 2007 and has since lived in Sribhumi, accompanied by her son and husband, whom she met and married in India.
Mr. Deb explained that the Ministry of Home Affairs issued the citizenship certificates on December 12, 2025, with the citizenship effective from the day each individual entered India. Interestingly, he declined to disclose their names, citing potential social harassment.
The woman's journey to citizenship was not without hurdles. Her initial application, submitted in July last year, was rejected due to the confusion surrounding the delimitation exercise before the Lok Sabha elections. The partial movement of Badarpur, where she now resides, from Sribhumi to Cachar created uncertainty over the jurisdiction of her area. However, her lawyer's persistence paid off, and her case was eventually approved.
And this is the part most people miss...
She is not only the first woman in Assam to receive citizenship under the CAA but also the first in the state to be granted citizenship through the registration route. This was made possible under Section 5(1)(c), read with Section 6B of the Citizenship Act, 1955, which allows a person married to an Indian citizen to register as an Indian citizen after residing in India for seven years.
The second beneficiary, a resident of Silchar town, also from Bangladesh, followed a similar path, receiving citizenship through the naturalization process.
Mr. Deb has assisted around 25 applicants over the last 18 months, but many applications have been rejected or are still pending. Only around 40 people have applied for citizenship in Assam since the rules were notified last year, despite nearly two lakh individuals being identified as doubtful citizens.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Act allows Hindu, Christian, Buddhist, Sikh, Jain, and Parsi immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, who entered India between March 25, 1971, and December 31, 2014, to apply for citizenship.
The Act's passage on December 11, 2019, sparked widespread protests in Assam, resulting in the tragic loss of five lives. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has asserted that most Hindus who migrated to Assam did so before the 1971 cut-off date.
This story raises important questions about the complexities of citizenship laws and their impact on individuals and communities. What are your thoughts on this development? Do you think the Act is a fair and just solution to the issue of citizenship for immigrants? Share your views in the comments below!
