Indian subcontinent boast itself to be one of the oldest civilization in the world, first human existence dates back to 55,000 years ago, who came from Africa, but the earliest known modern human remains in Southern subcontinent of Asia dates back to 30,000 years. One of the oldest civilization to exist Indus Valley Civilization with Harappa and Mohenjo Daro being the major sites. The Civilization grew leap and bound and became one of the most advanced civilization with drainage and use of bronze during the time. Civilizations from all over the world started coming here for trade and for its rich culture and equally rich resources.
Indian subcontinent which stretches from Afghanistan in North-West to Myanmar in East and Kanyakumari in South was holding 27% of the entire GDP of the world during the time Mughal ruler ruled the subcontinent. Indian subcontinent always believed in "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam". The phrase is a Sanskrit phrase found in Hindu texts such as the Maha Upanishad, which means "the world is one family". It is in Chapter 6 of the text. This verse of Maha Upanishad is engraved in the entrance hall of the parliament of India.
on 11th September 1893, Swami Vivekananda attended the Parliament of World religions and represented India and Hinduism. That event set India's image to the World which was never set before boasting India to be the only civilization which is proud to host almost every religion in the world, host every persecuted minorities from any country in the world.
It's better I give the excerpt of Swami Vivekananda which he delivered at the Parliament hall of World Religions.
Sisters and Brothers of America,
It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks in the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of religions; and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects. My thanks, also, to some of the speakers on this platform who, referring to the delegates from the Orient, have told you that these men from far-off nations may well claim the honour of bearing to different lands the idea of toleration. I am proud to belong to a religion which has taught the world both tolerance and universal acceptance. We believe not only in universal toleration, but we accept all religions as true. I am proud to belong to a nation which has sheltered the persecuted and the refugees of all religions and all nations of the earth. I am proud to tell you that we have gathered in our bosom the purest remnant of the Israelites, who came to Southern India and took refuge with us in the very year in which their holy temple was shattered to pieces by Roman tyranny. I am proud to belong to the religion which has sheltered and is still fostering remnant Zoroastrian nation. I will quote to you, brethren, a few lines from a hymn which I remember to have repeated from my earliest boyhood, which is every day repeated by millions of human beings: "As the different streams having their sources in different places all mingle their water in the sea, so, O Lord, the different paths which men take through different tendencies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to Thee."
Till date the excerpts of the Swami Vivekananda's speech is written on the steps of the halls and walls of the World Congress.
India's rich culture and resources attracted peoples and dynasties from all over the world and Britishers came in 17th Century and ruled India for two-centuries. Britishers identified the power of India's rich civilization and its unity in diversity. Britishers could able to break this unity between two-major religions Hindus and Muslims and ruled here till 15th of August 1947. This freedom from Britishers cost India one of the biggest asset, its unity and Indian subcontinent partitioned into India and Pakistan. India chose to be sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic while Pakistan chose to be an Islamic republic.
On 26th November 1949, India adopted one of the preamble of its constitution which reads exactly like this as given in the pic below.
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| Preamble of Indian Constitution |
Exactly after 126 years and 3 months of Swami Vivekananda's speech in Chicago, India with its Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah tabled a bill Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 on 11th December 2019, in the upper house or "Rajya Sabha" after being passed from lower house or "Lok Sabha". Bill got passed and on the next day it became Citizenship Amendment Act with the approval of the President Ram Nath Kovind.
The Citizenship Bill which was first adopted in 1955 when amended in 2019, it amended one of its core value of indiscrimination against any religion. Citizenship Amendment Bill came with an amendment of not allowing persecuted Muslims from neighbouring countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. This Amendment broke the base of the speech Swami Vivekananda had given on 11th September 1893, saying India and Hinduism is most tolerant nation and religion respectively to host every religion in the world, it broke India's resolution of it's preamble adopted on 26th November 1949, to be always secular and indiscriminate to any religion and give equal justice to every religion and faith.
This discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act not only being criticized inside India but is being criticized across the world. The United Nations Human Rights Commission condemned the "fundamentally discriminatory" Citizenship Amendment Act 2019.
This Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is not only discriminatory to Muslims but also against its own resolution of the Preamble of Constitution. The CAA has been challenged in the Supreme Court of India and around 60 petitioners have filed petitions against this unconstitutional and discriminatory Act.
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