Hindu Legal Cell writes to Modi over notifications on passport

Special Correspondent

Silchar, Dec 1: Hindu Legal Cell, state committee, has expressed its concern at the non-application or non-implementation of the two Notifications issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 7, 2015, to be effective from the next day of September 8, 2015. The two Notifications related to Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950 and the amendment of the Foreigners Order, 1948. Both these Orders were issued to provide relief to the minorities of Bangladesh and Pakistan who were and are compelled to seek shelter in India due to religious persecution or fear of religious persecution and enter India on or before December 31, 2014.

 Hindu Legal Cell in a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India, rendra Modi, on last Tuesday reminded him of his pre election assurance to dismantle the detention camps as well as to provide relief to the migrants. Unfortutely, Dharmanda Deb, convener, and Mriganka Bhattacharjee, joint convener, of the Cell, pointed out that the harassment of the Hindus continue in the me of ‘D’ voters and even put to trial in Foreigners’ Tribuls on the suspicion of being a foreigner and lodging them in detention camps.

 The Notifications vide no. G.S.R. 865 (E) (amending the Passport (Entry into India) Rules, 1950) and G.S.R. 686 (E) (amending the Foreigners’ Order, 1948) have been quite eloquent, said Dharmanda Deb to protect the minorities in Assam. He drew his attention to the harassment and persecution of the minorities despite the issuance of the Notifications. This he said is in total disrespect to the directives of the Government of India. According to reports from Bangladesh, Hindu migrants are being harassed even on this date.

 The latest instance is of the ubated attacks on Hindus in sirgar where the idols of gods and goddesses were vandalized, besides setting some houses on fire and even looting other houses. Even after a month of the incident, the investigation agencies are yet to find out the motive behind such vandalization by radical Islamists. It is most unfortute that the impugned directives have become virtually non-operative. It is the firm conviction of Hindu Legal Cell that the Prime Minister would give serious thought to it and ensure the application of the directives.

 This has become all the more imperative in view of the pending Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 since it is related to the issue of turalization certificates to the class of harassed people upon their application to the Government of India. As the process will take a long time, the Cell is of the opinion that a firm and definite stand by the Central Government on the issue will come as a relief to the minorities who include Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christians.