CHANDIGARH: The 6000-strong Ahmadiya community in Qadian in Punjab will not be impacted by the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill (CAB) as they have already been granted Indian citizenship. The dozen-odd cases which are pending with the local authorities will also not come under the jurisdiction of the new law as they involve Pakistani brides who recently got married after migrating to India.
There are some voices of dissent in the community about the CAB but it is not an issue with them. A leader on the condition of anonymity said, "The Ahmadiyas from Pakistan and Rohingyas from Myanmar should have been included in the CAB. Discrimination on religious grounds is a violation of international law. We are Indian citizens and have documents to prove it."
The annual convention of the Ahmadiya community 'Jalsa Salaana' will be held from December 27 to 29 in Qadian where people belonging to the community from all over the world will gather. More than 17 lakh members of the community are spread across the globe in Pakistan, Jordan, Libya, Germany, Russia, the UK and the US, with over a lakh settled in India. This community which was founded in 1889 by Miza
Ghulam Ahmed has been facing persecution in Pakistan as they are not considered Muslims there.
Meanwhile, terming the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) as a direct assault on India’s secular character, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has said his government would not allow the legislation to be implemented in his state. He said the Congress, which has a majority in the state assembly, would block the 'unconstitutional' Bill in the House. His government, on its part, would not let the legislation rip apart the secular fabric of the country, whose strength lies in its diversity, said the Chief Minister, a day after the controversial Bill was passed in the Rajya Sabha.