Can India emulate the American dual citizenship model?

NEW DELHI: Will the Indian Citizenship (Amendment Act) 2003 allow NRIs (Non-Resident Indians) dual citizenship? If so, what will it entail and what will it mean to the NRIs? In America alone, there are just under 1.9 million Indian Americans, according to the 2000 US Census.

And if they go by the American principles of citizenship, they could end up asking so many things. The progressive policies and equality of opportunity have allowed Indians to travel to the US and establish successful careers.

What is uppermost in the minds of NRIs now is - Should India emulate America and attract the best talent and wealth, and become a global superpower? And, can India use its dual citizenship card to do this?

"Citizenship is about rights and obligations. Identity should come along with a sense of responsibility. Should India allow a Bhikhu Parekh or a Meghnad Desai to exercise their rights in Indian affairs? Can Lord Swaraj Paul be a member of the Indian Parliament? The notion of Indian citizenship is very different from that of the United States", says Prof Anand Kumar of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi.

By far, America is the most permissive state allowing its immigrants citizenships and offer rights without almost any restrictions. It is the only country which allows a citizen to take out multiple citizenships, swear allegiance to a foreign state, vote in foreign elections, hold high office in another country, and fight in another country's army even if it is hostile.

This is precisely why more and more Indians are reaching the US and taking up citizenships. The Indian population roughly doubled between 1990 and 2000 Census. The number of Indians inflow to the US in 2003 was 50,372 and 29,790 Indians have acquired citizenship.

So can India emulate US model? If India emulates the US, it can bring back the vast pool of Indian talent spread across the world. Also it will attract professionals from their respective fields. It has already started attracting a large number of talents in the knowledge and IT sector.

"Earlier it was brain drain. Now, it is no more. For want of a better word, I call it brain circulation. Infosys and Wipro have built successful models in India. Increasingly foreigners come to work here and countries want to emulate our models. Professional standards here have certainly gone up. This is good for India and will attract more talent", says Prof Jagdish Bhagwati, a member of the Democratic Party and University Professor at Columbia University.

Apart from emulating the US model, India should prepare ground for providing the ambience where talents are nurtured and equality of opportunity provided. "The Americans are more egalitarian. They are not bothered where you come from. You could be from Mars. But they expect you to perform. And Indians perform beautifully", says Prof Bhagwati.

He adds "Because America favours equality of opportunity, Indians want to go there. We are very big presence out there. Not even a day goes without some Indian achievement being talked about. In every field, we have somebody."

Prof Bhagwati cannot but compare the Indian achievement in the US with Pakistanis when he says, "Between fundamentalism and military dictatorship, Pakistan completely destroyed the whole potential for achievement, in my judgement. If you go to America and start finding some outstanding Pakistanis, you can't even count one finger on one hand. That is crazy."

"Indian achievement in the US can be only explained through our education and the spirit of enquiry. This is our great strength and it enables us to penetrate the United States at all levels. We are at a winning wicket out there. That translates into the great bonding between the US and India. It began with the Clintons and has been continuing with Bush. The Clintons loved chat and Chatwals but essentially the bonding goes beyond that. And it is based on Indian achievement. They didn't care what you looked like as long as you performed."

"If I regain my citizenship right, I should be given my voting right and other rights that go with that. I am happy and willing to pay taxes and undertake other obligations that come along with my citizenship. But most NRIs are not ready to share the obligations" says Prof Bhagwati.

If liberals like Prof Bhagwati is ready to regain his citizenship and take up the responsibilities along with his dual citizenship, so can other NRIs which will have a telling effect on the growth and development of India.

The proof of it is found in the US. There are several areas where Indian Americans have outdone and outperformed the natives like educational qualification and the high median family income. They are more than three and a half times likely to have a professional and a masters degree and four and three quarters times more likely to hold a doctorate degree than the general population.

India is already the third largest Asian community and account for 0.68% to the total population.

And if Indians have been growing in numbers over the years and successfully performing in every field possible in the US, it is because of their progressive policies on citizenship. Shouldn't India follow its footsteps?

"and fight in another country's army even if it is hostile."

The gov may not have a problem with that, but I assure you Americans do.

"By far, America is the most permissive state allowing its immigrants citizenships and offer rights without almost any restrictions. It is the only country which allows a citizen to take out multiple citizenships, swear allegiance to a foreign state, vote in foreign elections, hold high office in another country, and fight in another country's army even if it is hostile."

This is so wrong on every point I had to quit reading after this. It's ridiculous. The US is the most restrictive of almost any other country in the world. It does not allow it's citizens to hold duel citizenship, or vote in foreign elections, etc. and fight in another country's army? What is this guy smoking?

The US, along with Libya, is the only country that requires it's citizens to continue to pay US income taxes even if the citizen doesn't reside in the country. This article is BS.

"It is the only country which allows a citizen to take out multiple citizenships, swear allegiance to a foreign state, vote in foreign elections, hold high office in another country, and fight in another country's army even if it is hostile. "

Americans CAN fight in the armies of a foreign country, provided that they don't fight against the USA (or, presumably, serve in the armed forces of a country at war with the USA. Afghanistan may thus far have proved a complicated exception.)
And Americans CAN vote in the election of any other country, if that country permits.

This is ridiculous. It should never have been allowed. And it should be stopped. Thanks for the post.

I could not agree more. The very idea of dual citizenship--other than in the sense that one is a citizen of an American State and a citizen of America by virtue of that State being part of the Union--makes a mockery of the concept of citizenship. This nonsense stole upon us like a thief in the night. I do not recall there ever being a debate on the subject. Frankly, I thought that one had to denounce all foreign allegiance to become a citizen. That certainly should be required.

William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site

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