Against the tide: Law students (in the minority) express support for Citizenship Amendment Act

The passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 [CAA] has truly divided the people of India, with rallies for and against the legislation being carried out throughout the country. And it appears that this division is seen across Indian law schools as well. Though in the vast minority, a few law students have come out in support of the controversial CAA.

A few students and alumni of Indian Law Society's Law College (ILS Pune) have issued a statement in support of the controversial legislation. The statement reads,

"The Act has been grossly misinterpreted to those who have not read the Act in its entirety and those who do not have access to the Act. As educated people and law students/practitioners of India’s one of the most prestigious colleges, it is on us to educate the masses and correct the myths that are being circulated."

The statement also makes a reference to an earlier statement issued by ILS students condemning the acts of violence at Jamia Milia Islamia in the wake of the anti-CAA protests. In this regard, the statement reads,

"...ILS Law College, Pune on 17th December, 2019 issued a statement on behalf of the entire college, forwarding unconditional support to the Jamia students and in condemnation of the Act. They have relied on false information, scrupulously altered the contents of the Act and ran their malicious propaganda. However, I stand for their freedom of expression. What was utterly wrong on their part was the publication of the statement on behalf of every student."

Similarly, a few students of National Law University, Odisha (NLU O) have also voiced their support for the CAA. Earlier, NLU O students had signed a joint statement in solidarity with the protests at Jamia and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

As reported by Swarajya, there is also a fringe students of NUJS Kolkata who had come out in support of the CAA. The statement, signed by 75 students of the University, reads,

"We take this opportunity to thank our Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for ensuring the CAA’s purposeful enactment that is sure to bring much needed relief to persecuted minorities from our neighbouring three countries which have shown a pervasive, systematic and institutionalised track record against such minorities."

This runs contrary to the statement issued by the Student Juridical Association, the official student body of NUJS. It has been pointed out that over 400 alumni and 600 students of NUJS have opposed the Act and stood in solidarity with the Jamia protestors.