Asian Voice

18 January 2003

Dual citizenship is a big mistake

The decision by the Indian Government to grant dual citizenship to those from Indian diaspora is wrong and has a potential to harm the very people it is supposed to benefit.

Let us first look at the potential benefits that an Indian passport may bring to a person of Indian origin who is a citizen of another country. Apart from being able to live in India indefinitely and perhaps invest and do business with unrestricted freedom there do not seem to be any other benefits. For those people of Indian origin who want to live in India indefinitely, the Indian government can easily grant this wish without the need for being an Indian citizen. If the object of the whole exercise is to maintain the strong cultural, spiritual and emotional links with India then again an Indian passport need not be proof of ones bona fide credentials.

Now let us look at how citizens of the country we have adopted amongst whom we live, will look at our dual nationality. Once word gets around that we hold dual nationality it will be easy for people to presume that all of us actually hold two passports even in though in realty only a few of us might actually take up the offer. To understand this scenario clearly let me pose a question. How would the people of India react if they were to find a minority living amongst them holds another passport of their mother country?  Dual nationality implies dual loyalties whatever one says to contrary. For a minority in any country this is a very unenviable position to be in. There is no room for any ambiguity here. It is incumbent upon any immigrant or ethnic minority to transfer his or her loyalties to the adopted country. For those of us from East Africa this ought to be blindingly clear! This is not to say that you cut off all ties with the mother country, indeed the Indian diaspora has a tremendous record of rising to the challenge whenever any calamity has befallen India like the republic day earthquake of 2001. However if someone is going to dabble in the politics of the mother country and bring its conflicts to the country he/she has emigrated to the result will be a disaster as the citizens of the adopted country will no longer have any trust or respect for us. It is a truism to say that the success of a minority the goodwill of the majority is essential and that goodwill has to be earned by joining the mainstream. In the national mainstream one can contribute by bringing in all that is best in his or her culture and way of life. Indeed that is exactly what  India is asking of from its minorities and rightly so. In an increasingly unstable world, crisis and conflicts can suddenly  erupt amongst nations and a minority can suddenly become vulnerable. It is at that point that the trust and loyalty that has been nurtured over many years can pay great dividends. Dual citizenship is a bad idea and it ought to be dropped. I am proud to call myself  British of Indian origin.

Nitin Mehta MBE

Foot note: The Indian government has introduced  Overseas Citizenship of India  in 2006 which is not dual citizenship.  I have acquired  the same!

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