Hearing in Indian Citizenship case deferred till 22 September/ENG

2016. augusztus 22./Tibet Sub/TibetPress

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A Delhi High Court judge on Monday deferred to 22 September the hearing in the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) case concerning Indian citizenship for Tibetans born in India.

Tibetan social entrepreneur Lobsang Wangyal’s petition in Delhi High Court seeks Indian government recognition as Indian citizens for Tibetans who were born in India between 1950 and 1987, as per the Indian Citizenship law.

The Government of India has so far been following a policy that treats Tibetans as non-Indians, irrespective of their birth in India.

The Indian Citizenship Act of 1955, Article 3(1)(a) says: Any person born in India on or after 26 January 1950, but prior to the commencement of the 1986 Act on 1 July 1987, is a citizen of India by birth.

The presiding judge, Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva, deferred the case as the respondents have not filed their affidavit, according to Simarpal Sawhney, one of the counsels for Lobsang Wangyal.

“Today, the matter was fixed for final arguments. But unfortunately the respondents one, two and three — the Union of India, the Ministry of External Affairs, and the Ministry of Home Affairs — have not filed the counter affidavit,” Sawhney said.

“They came with some inter-ministerial order. The judge told them to place it on record. So a short date was given to us. Now the matter has been fixed for 22nd of September. We are hopeful that the matter will be concluded on that day.”