SECURITIZATION, BELONGING AND CITIZENSHIP REVOCATION IN INDIA.

Abstract

This paper investigates the securitisation of citizenship policies in India, focusing on the provisions for termination and deprivation of citizenship under Sections 9 and 10 of the Citizenship Act, 1955. It argues that these provisions, operating within an exceptional framework, have been historically justified through narratives of national security, deeply rooted in the partition of India and its enduring “migration crisis.” By examining debates from the Constituent Assembly and the Lok Sabha, alongside legislative intent and judicial decisions, the paper illustrates how the securitisation of citizenship has entrenched executive supremacy while leaving minimal room for judicial oversight or procedural safeguards. The overlapping application of the Citizenship Act and the Foreigner’s Act further exacerbates vulnerabilities, creating a labyrinthine legal regime where individuals are subject to arbitrary state action. The paper critiques the inherent ambiguities in determining the “voluntary” acquisition of foreign citizenship, the reversal of the burden of proof under the Foreigner’s Act, and the reliance on executive-controlled bodies to adjudicate citizenship claims. Drawing on a range of cases from the early years of independence to contemporary times, it highlights the systemic exclusion of vulnerable groups, particularly those affected by partition and forced migration, and how these policies disproportionately target minorities and marginalised communities.