On September 12th, 108 Hindus who had fled religious persecution in nearby Islamic countries—Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh—and immigrated to India were given permanent citizenship by Minister of State for Home Affairs Harsh Sanghavi.
The 108 Hindus who immigrated to India and are currently resident in Ahmedabad were presented with “Certificates of Indian Citizenship” by Sanghavi as part of a special programme held by the Ahmedabad district administration.
During the ceremony, the Minister asked everyone who had been granted Indian citizenship how they were doing. Laugh because you are now an Indian citizen. He further stated that in order to fulfil the dream of a new India, we must all cooperate.
I expect you all to be committed to contributing to the nation’s progress, he remarked. Additionally, he gave everyone the assurance that they will feel safe in Gujarat and be able to exercise all of their legal rights as citizens, including using government perks and programmes.
In addition, Minister Sanghavi stated that the 108 households in Ahmedabad that received Indian citizenship certificates today would experience a joyous atmosphere akin to Diwali. He compared the happiness of becoming an Indian citizen to the delight of welcoming a kid into a family.
He also stressed that Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, which means “the world is one family,” has genuinely come to life today.
He said that both Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah have repeatedly worked to award Indian citizenship to people who have been members of religious minority who have been persecuted in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh.
He continued by saying that as a result of those efforts, 108 Hindus are now citizens. He added that the Central and State Governments have always been dedicated to reintegrating the displaced residents into society and that they are also motivated to find solutions to the problems that affect their day-to-day life.
The Minister of State for Home Affairs announced during the event that in Ahmedabad, more than 1149 Hindu expatriates have received Indian citizenship to date.
Later, he thanked the Ahmedabad Collector and the entire administrative team for making it happen.
It is important to remember that earlier gazettes issued in 2016 and 2018 gave the Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, and Kutch-TRS district collectors in Gujarat the authority to grant Indian citizenship to minorities (Hindus, Sikhs, Parsis, Buddhists, Jains, and Christians) from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan by following the steps outlined in the Citizenship Act.
