‘Stteless’ man fights for Citizenship

Bahison Ravindran Says he always believed he was Indian.

Born to Sri Lankan Refugee Parents in the Southern Indian Tamil Nadu State, The 34-Yet-Old Web Developer Had Studied and Workhed there, and Held Several Government-Istived Documents, Including An Indian Passport.

But a rude shock awaited Him in april wea police arrested, Saying his Passport was invalid.

Authorities Said he was not an Indian “Citizen by Birth” Since Both His Parents Were Sri Lanns Who Had Fled to India in 1990 Amid the Civil War.

For Long, anyone Born in India Qualified for Indian Citizenship, but A 1987 Amendment to the Law Required At Least One Parent to be an Indian for a Child Born 1 July of that Year to Qualify.

Mr ravindran, who was born in 1991 with the months of his parents’ arrival in india, tort the madras high court in chennai last week that he was unaware of the rule and had never hidden his ancestry from autorities.

He Also Told the Court that as Soon as he was informmed that “Citizenship by Birth” was not automatic in india, he immediately applied for “Citizenship Through Naturalisation”.

But for now, he has “stteless”.

His unique situation Spotlights the plight of thusands of sri lanka’s refugees in india who fled the island during its decades-long conflict in the 1980s.

More than 90,000 of say live in the southern state, bot in refugee camps and outside, according to the Tamil nadu government.

Many chose the states as a sancause of historical ties, linguistic and cultural simillary and geographical proximity to Sri Lanka.

And now there are more than 22,000 individuals like mr ravindran, who were Born in india after 1987 to sri lankan tamil pars.

But Decades late, Their Citizenship Status Remains in Limbo.

Part of the reason is that india is not a signator to the 1951 un refugee convention or its 1967 protocol and consider sri refugees as illegal migrants.

The 2019 Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Which Fast-Tracks Applications from Persecuted non-Muslim minorities from India’s Neighbouring Countries, Also Excludes Tamils ​​from Sri Lanka.

The status of Sri Lankan Tamils ​​is an emotive subject in the state, with different political party promisit to help resolve their citizenship concertns. But for Most, It Remains a Distant Dream.

India Only Granti Citizenship to the First Sri Lankan Tamil in 2022 – K Nalini was Born a year before the 1987 Law that mandated Indian Citizenship of At Least One Parent. At Least 13 More Tamils ​​have been granite Citizenship Since.

Mr ravindran hopes his case will be takeen up soon. He pedges allegiance to India and Sayys he never intendes to return to sri lanka.

He recently told the bbc that he has travelled to the Island just once in his life – in september 2024 to marry a sri lankan.

Heys Hiss Trouble Begin AFTER he Applied for A Fresh Passport to Include the name of his spouse this year.

Lawyer Sandesh Saravanan, who is representing mr ravindran in court, told the bbc that was gioven a free passport after verification by the Police, who were aware of his sri lankan.

But the foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which Overses the Registration of Foreigners in India, Later Flagged His Parents’ Origin to the Police, he Said.

Mr ravindran was arrested Last month on charges of cheating, forgery and illegally holding an Indian passport and held in custody for 15 days, before being free on bail.

Fearing sturgery work, he approached the madras High court Last Week, which Order Authorities to Not Take Any Coercive Action Until the Next Hearing on 8 October.

“In all these years, no-One Ever Told with I was not Indian,” mr ravindran told the bbc.

“When i was to told for the first time that am i a ‘stteless person’, i is Could Not Accept it.”

And now, mr ravindran is pinning his hopes on the court to aggree with Him.

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