Amid CAA Protests, Government Has Just Granted Indian Citizenship To A Woman From Pakistan

In a silver lining for all those worried over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and while debate and protests over the issue are ongoing all across the country, a Pakistani woman was granted Indian citizenship. Hasina Ben was born and brought up in Bhanvad Taluka of Gujarat and had taken Pakistani citizenship post her marriage in 1999.

Gujarat: Hasina Ben, a Pakistani woman has been granted Indian citizenship. Dr Narendra Kumar Meena, Devbhumi Dwarka Collector says,"She was born & bought up in Bhanvad Taluka of Gujarat. In 1999 she married a Pakistani citizen & became a citizen of Pakistan." pic.twitter.com/0DZhIuW4C8

¡ª ANI (@ANI) December 19, 2019

She had shifted to Pakistan and had spent her married life there. Following her husband's death, Hasina Ben decided to return to India and had, therefore, applied for Indian citizenship almost two years back.

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She was granted citizenship on December 18.

"Hasina Ben was born and brought up in Bhanvad Taluka of Gujarat. She married a Pakistani citizen in 1999 and became a citizen of Pakistan.

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After the death of her husband, she returned to India and applied for Indian Citizenship. So After consideration, GOI (Government of India) has approved the application," read a tweet from the official handle of Collector Dwarka, Dr Narendra Kumar Meena.

She was awarded the Certificate of Indian Citizenship by the Collector on Wednesday.

This is not the first time that the Indian authorities had granted citizenship to Pakistani migrants. In June 2018, a total of 108 migrants from Pakistan received Indian citizenship in Rajasthan. Jodhpur District collector Ravi Kumar Surpur distributed the citizenship certificates to the former Pakistanis.

Most of these migrant-turned-Indian citizens were teary-eyed when they got the certificates.

The surroundings of the Town Hall where they were given the certificates echoed with slogans such as "Bharat Mata Ki Jai".

Hindu Singh Soda, President of Seemant Lok Sangathan who has played an active role in highlighting the plight of the migrants, said directions to give them citizenship was issued way back in December 2016.

He said some 6,000 people were still awaiting Indian citizenship.