Mohammed [Last name withheld] and 184 other Hindu refugees of Pakistani origin were formally granted Indian citizenship on July 25, 2025, in a ceremony held in Rajkot, Gujarat. The recipients, settled across Kutch, Morbi, and Rajkot districts, received their citizenship certificates from Harsh Sanghvi, the Union Minister of State for Home Affairs (The New Indian Express).
During the ceremony, Sanghvi described the moment as a “new life” for the 185 individuals, who had endured persecution and displacement in Pakistan. He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to supporting their integration into Indian society and access to benefits under welfare schemes (The New Indian Express). The event featured emotional testimonials from the beneficiaries, some of whom have waited years to finally obtain citizenship (The New Indian Express).
This marks a significant development in Gujarat’s implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019, which provides an expedited naturalisation route for persecuted minority communities—Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians—from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014 (Wikipedia).
Notably, this occasion was Gujarat’s first formal event of its kind under CAA, though earlier in August 2024, 188 Pakistani Hindus were granted citizenship in Ahmedabad by Union Home Minister Amit Shah (Gujarat Samachar). Prior phases—spanning back to December 2024—had conferred citizenship to several dozen refugees under related provisions (Ritam Digital).
Context & Controversy
- The cut-off date of December 31, 2014 is central to CAA eligibility. Applications beyond that date are not considered under the Act (Wikipedia).
- Critics—including human rights groups and several state governments—have argued that CAA unfairly excludes Muslims and undermines India’s secular constitutional ethos (The Guardian).
- In Assam and other northeastern states, protests continue over concerns about demographic shifts and the combination of CAA with a potential National Register of Citizens (NRC) (Wikipedia).
- Meanwhile, legal challenges persist in Gujarat, such as the recent petition by Dr. Nanikraz Mukhi, a Pakistani-origin Hindu doctor still awaiting citizenship despite years in India (Vishvas News).
