Dual citizenship bill faces trouble over oath of allegiance By Deepshikha Ghosh, Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, July 27 (IANS) A move to grant dual citizenship to people of Indian origin has run into rough weather over a clause that requires applicants to sign an oath of allegiance to India. A parliamentary panel studying the draft dual citizenship bill appears to be in two minds about the oath of allegiance clause following objections from the High Power Committee on Indian Diaspora that had recommended dual citizenship. "We have discussed the bill and heard the views of L.M. Singhvi, the chairman of the diaspora committee," Hansraj Bhardwaj, a member of the panel on home affairs, told IANS. "More meetings are required to clear all aspects of the bill." Bhardwaj said the committee was seized of the provision that those seeking Indian citizenship would have to sign an oath of affirmation of loyalty to India. Singhvi had reportedly expressed his reservations on this. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had announced in January that global Indians settled in eight countries - the U.S., Britain, Australia, Canada, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands and Italy - would be granted dual citizenship after an amendment in the Citizenship Act of 1955. The demand had been mulled over and over by successive governments, and national security concerns were the biggest hurdle in its way. The Vajpayee cabinet ratified the decision in May. Subsequently, Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, who heads the home ministry steering this bill, announced that the new law would be ready by the end of this year. Those granted dual citizenship would be termed "Overseas Indian Citizens" and given an Indian passport. The passport would allow free movement without visas and grant many other privileges but no political rights. Those with dual citizenship would not be allowed to vote, or run for office or take jobs in the defence services. The measure would enable Indian expatriates to own properties, build or invest directly in projects in this country and travel without visa or immigration restrictions. Having initiated the major change of policy towards global Indians, the diaspora panel is not too happy with the home ministry's move to include the loyalty rider. "This is not what we proposed, as such an oath is essentially against the very idea of dual citizenship," a senior member of the committee told IANS. "A person will naturally have primary allegiance to the country he has made his home, where he enjoys domicile and makes a living. He will only be given certain facilities in the second country, which is granting him some rights only due to the emotional ties." Under the circumstances, an oath would only create more problems, said the member. "Besides, the Indian government is not giving them rights to elect a government or occupy any constitutional office." An estimated 20 million Indians are spread across the planet, but the deeply sentimental - and of course economic - benefit of dual citizenship has been extended only to the countries that have reciprocal policy of citizenship. Under the current rules, which are to be amended, Indian expatriates have to forfeit their citizenship when they leave India to live and naturalise in another country. --Indo-Asian News Service ########################################################################## # Send submissions for Goanet to [EMAIL PROTECTED] # # PLEASE remember to stay on-topic (related to Goa), and avoid top-posts # # More details on Goanet at http://joingoanet.shorturl.com/ # # Please keep your discussion/tone polite, to reflect respect to others # ##########################################################################
