In an affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, the DMK claimed that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which discriminates on the basis of religion, undermines the fundamental principles of secularism. Additionally, the party claimed that the CAA 2019 is against the Tamil race because it does not bring Tamil refugees under the purview of the law and accused the Centre of treating Tamil refugees with a stepmotherly attitude.
The citizenship issue is crucial at the Gummidipoondi refugee camp on the outskirts of Chennai.
P Sivakumar, 44, as well as his father and four brothers fled to India as refugees in 1990. He has three daughters and is currently married. Sivakumar’s roots are in India, even though he still longs to visit Sri Lanka and the Tamil Elam there. His wife is opposed to leaving India, the home of her children and grandchildren.
However, the lack of appropriate acceptance in the society they reside in causes them to frequently rethink their life in India. Sivakumar stated that citizenship is a great solution.
‘For higher studies you don’t get any loans. You don’t have the right to buy properties and to leave the camp, you need permission. People use abusive words for us and call us thieves. We are not accepted in this country. In a way, this is also my motherland and I am still fighting for my rights here,’ he said.
Sivakumar said, ‘This is also a request from our end. This will help people like him return to their home country one day.’
20-year-old Kalpana Manikandan resides not far from Sivakumar. Kalpana is occupied trying to amuse Ahalya, her four-month-old daughter. She fears raising her child in the same refugee camp where she has spent her entire life.
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