9th January, 1915, marked the reverse migration of the greatest Indian to India. Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa to lead India’s freedom struggle and lay the foundations of a free India.
The contribution of overseas Indian community to the economic and cultural growth of India is immense. To mark their contribution to the development of India, ever since 2003, 9th January is celebrated as the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. That is now considered as an ideal platform for the government to interact with its diaspora and to foster a sense of unity amongst the 32 million diaspora, including 13 million NRIs and 18 million PIOs.
The Indian constitution does not permit its citizens to simultaneously hold citizenship of another country. But the idea of dual nationality in India is not a closed chapter. A few days back India’s Minister for External Affairs Jai Shankar stated that there are economic and security challenges as to Indians living in which countries should be provided with dual citizenship. He kept the window open stating that the debate is ongoing. Looks like there is some hope.
Over two decades back, in the wake of a demand for dual citizenship, the External Affairs Ministry set up a high level committee under the chairmanship of L M Singhvi to make a comprehensive study of the Indian global diaspora and to find measures of constructive relationships with them. In 2002, the committee recommended an amendment to the Citizenship Act 1955 for grant of dual citizenship to persons of Indian origin belonging to certain specified countries. It is worth recording that the L M Singhvi committee rejected the thinking ‘of ourselves as a people whose history was made only in India … 119 countries were our people are to be found to represent our karma bhumi just as much as India’. The committee even drafted the amendments that would be necessary on the citizenship Act in order to firmly provide for dual citizenship.
The recommendation on dual citizenship actually kick-started the facility of PIO status to persons of Indian origin of 16 specified countries – Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Netherlands, New Zealand, Portugal, Republic of Cyprus, Sweden, Switzerland, UK and USA.
Thereafter we have the OCI cards which exclude persons from Pakistan and Bangladesh. The OCI card holders enjoy multiple entries, multiple purpose, and lifelong visa to visit India. Except from being excluded from the political/electoral life and not being in a position to take up government jobs and bar only on acquisition of agricultural or plantation lands. They can even buy real estate without the permission of the RBI. Looking at the privileges enjoyed by the OCI card holders, fears expressed by the Minister for External Affairs makes hardly any sense as OCI card only restricts purchase of agricultural land and holding public/electoral office.
The facilities provided to the OCIs appear to have lulled the Indian diaspora. The push for dual citizenship appear to have been diluted. The OCI status can hardly be a substitute to citizenship. At best, the OCI card is a privileges card. A citizen must have a right to participate in governance of his/her motherland, policy making, politics, take up elective office and be eligible for being in civil-service. Such a connection reinforces the emotional connect with the motherland. The OCI card does not allow that emotional bonding. When Goa’s civil society also talks about facilitating grant of OCI status, the demand for dual nationality status should not be as being given up.
The two decades of indecision over the matter has led to lakhs of high net worth individuals opting out of this country. Giving up citizenship is a life’s big decision taken with all considerations and calculations. The argument in giving up an Indian citizenship for a more powerful one may be a selfish decision from purely personal point of view. As per world migration report 2022, India has the largest emigrant population in the world and the largest receiver of remittances at 83 billion dollars in 2020. With India contributing 25 lakh emigrants every year, it is irrational that India has not considered favourably dual citizenship, a principle followed by half the world including Pakistan and Brazil.
We look at citizenship only through the prison of commitment and loyalty to the motherland. Our citizenship provisions were firmed up amidst the pangs of partition. Nowhere acquiring another citizenship, tantamounts to giving up original citizenship, but that is the law here. We are yet to come out of the partition mindset and the concerns of the External Affairs ministry appears to flow from that mindset.
India is ranked as the world’s 5th largest economy by GDP measure. It is expected that India will stand 3rd by 2030. The emergence as an economic power house can be accelerated by building up its brand and retaining quality minds and a large educated and skilled work force by tinkering with citizenship principles. Dual citizenship would certainly retain highly skilled and educated work force who prefer to give up Indian citizenship for high quality life, clean environment and a great educational system for children and the rich who hop into a better tax environment and a robust business eco-system. Dual citizenship would also increase the investment flow, helping the economy get a further boost.
The 2002 push by the Indian diaspora brought dual citizenship on the table, which the current external affairs minister claims that the debate is ongoing. Love for the mother land at a time when nationalist passions are at its peak, will only make our society a more progressive one as the world becomes a global village. Relinquishing citizenship of motherland is not an ideal situation but choosing a land of opportunities cannot be condemned. Hope this Pravasi Bharathiya Divas pushes for Dual citizenship.
(The writer is a practicing advocate and a political thinker)