Citizenship on Trial |
The forced removal of a pregnant Indian citizen to Bangladesh on mere suspicion exposes a dangerous erosion of due process at the heart of the state’s immigration machinery. When citizenship can be questioned not through evidence but through accent, language, or religious identity, the problem is no longer illegal migration alone ~ it becomes one of constitutional fidelity. India’s eastern border has always been porous, shaped by history rather than hard lines on a map. Movement across it predates Partition and continues to be driven by work, family ties, and, at times, fear. Managing such migration is undoubtedly complex.
But complexity cannot justify shortcuts that bypass verification protocols or reduce citizenship to a matter of police discretion. When deportation precedes investigation, the burden of proof is unfairly shifted onto the individual, often the poorest and least equipped to defend themselves. What........