• durgesh dubey
• 28 Aug, 2024

Goa

In yet another major development that is sure to get political, a Pakistani Christian Joseph Francis A. Pereira becomes first in Goa to get Indian Citizenship under Citizenship Amendment Act. It need be mentioned that CAA has helped persecuted minorities in Pakistan, Afghanistan & Bangladesh get refuge in India.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday presented Indian citizenship to Joseph Francis Pereira, a 78-year-old Pakistani Christian, marking the first such case in the state under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). The ceremony, held in South Goa, saw Pereira receive his citizenship certificate in the presence of state Tourism Minister Rohan Khaunte. Pereira, originally from Karachi, Pakistan, had moved to Goa in 2013 after spending years studying and working in Pakistan. Despite being married to a Goan and living in India, he faced challenges in obtaining citizenship until the central government amended the Citizenship Act in 2019. The CAA, enacted in December 2019, provides a pathway to Indian citizenship for non-Muslim migrants—Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians—from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014. Pereira, who resides in Cansaulim, Goa, is the first person in the state to benefit from this legislation. Expressing his gratitude, Pereira thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for their roles in enacting the law that facilitated his citizenship. His successful application underscores the broader implications of the CAA, which allows eligible individuals to apply for Indian nationality.