Number
191841
Version
ORIGINAL
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. JOHNSON, DODD, AND SPIKER
Title
Resolution opposing India’s National Register of Citizens and Citizenship Amendment Act and reaffirming Milwaukee as a welcoming city that accepts all peoples regardless of their religious background.
Analysis
This resolution expresses the Common Council’s opposition to India’s National Register of Citizens and Citizenship Amendment Act. The resolution further calls on the Parliament of India to repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act and to stop the National Register of Citizens, and calls on the U.S. Congress to apply diplomatic pressure on the Republic of India to end these policies.
Body
Whereas, On December 11, 2019, the Parliament of India passed the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which, for the first time and in direct opposition to the Indian Constitution, uses religion as a criterion for Indian citizenship; and
Whereas, While the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi claims this policy will help refugees fleeing religious persecution from neighboring countries, the law instead discriminates against Muslims by creating an expanded path to citizenship for Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians, from these countries, while purposely excluding Muslims; and
Whereas, The Modi government has also expressed a desire to expand the updating of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) that was started in the State of Assam in 2013 and requires citizens to provide decades of documentation to prove their citizenship, a burden that is particularly difficult for poor Indians; and
Whereas, The Indian government has already begun constructing large detention camps in anticipation of the impact of this policy; and
Whereas, Combining a nation-wide implementation of the NRC with the CAA effectively gives Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu nationalist government the ability to deny citizenship to any Muslims who lack the proper documentation while providing a path back to citizenship for any non-Muslim groups who may also lack documentation; and
Whereas, Protests against the CAA have been met with violent and disproportionate repression, including thousands of arrests and reports of police fatally firing live ammunition at demonstrators; and
Whereas, Members of the BJP and the Hindu nationalist government of Prime Minister Modi have encouraged violence against protesters and Muslims, resulting in numerous deaths and the destruction of property and livelihoods; and
Whereas, During President Donald Trump’s February, 2020 visit to India, there were violent riots targeting Muslims in Delhi that were tacitly condoned and aided by police and other officials, and resulted in over 40 deaths; and
Whereas, The repressive and racist policies of Prime Minister Modi’s Hindu nationalist government are inconsistent with Milwaukee’s values as a city, which strives to be a welcoming home for all peoples and religions; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Common Council opposes the National Register of Citizens and the Citizenship Amendment Act in India; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Common Council calls on the Parliament of India to uphold the Indian constitution by repealing the Citizenship Amendment Act, stopping the National Register of Citizens, and taking steps towards helping all refugees, regardless of their religion or national origin; and be it
Further Resolved, That the Common Council call upon the U.S. Congress to apply diplomatic pressure on the Republic of India to end these policies; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the City Clerk shall forward a copy of this resolution to each member of Milwaukee’s delegation to the U.S. Congress.
Requestor
Drafter
LRB 175918-1
Christopher H. Hillard
3/5/2020