Chhatisgarh. (13:03): The Central Government has implemented the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) across the country, bringing forth information about foreign refugees. This move has brought joy to those eligible to obtain Indian citizenship under its provisions. In Chhattisgarh, approximately 63,000 foreign refugees currently reside, set to benefit from the CAA. These individuals hold resident permits or visas and will soon be granted Indian citizenship.
Enacted four years ago, the CAA aims to grant citizenship to non-Muslims from neighboring countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. The Union Home Ministry reports that 62,890 individuals in Chhattisgarh lack citizenship, having arrived in India before 2014. Most of them are aged between 50 to 60 years. Efforts are underway to identify and grant citizenship to all eligible individuals.
In Raipur alone, there are over 2,700 Pakistanis and Bangladeshis, residing with permits or visas. Some among them lack proper documentation. The majority of foreign refugees in Chhattisgarh are concentrated in Bastar, Pankhajur, and Raipur. Notably, Pankhajur houses 133 villages solely inhabited by Bangladeshi refugees, with a significant Bengali-speaking population. Similarly, Raipur’s Mana area is home to more than 500 Bangladeshi families.
