Fourteen South Asian citizens on Thursday criticised the amendments to India’s Citizenship Act, saying it has the potential to “deepen geopolitical divides” in the region at a time when countries should strive for peace and mutual understanding.

The Citizenship Amendment Act, passed by Parliament on December 11, seeks to provide citizenship to religious minorities from six communities in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, but excludes Muslims from its scope, leading to the charge that the law is anti-Muslim. The proposed National Register of Citizens is an exercise to identify and distinguish undocumented immigrants from genuine Indian citizens.

The 14 signatories included Pakistani architect and activist Arif Hasan, political scientist and professor in University of Colombo Jayadeva Uyangoda, former Pakistan Finance Minister Mubashir Hassan, Dhaka University Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury and Nepali historian Pratyoush Onta.

“The Act is discriminatory at the first instance because it targets Muslims beyond the stated intent of the law,” they said in a statement. “It is unacceptable for any country including one with a secular Constitution to distinguish between citizens, foreign or domestic, on the basis of religion. Further, the Act has the potential to deepen geopolitical divides among the countries of South Asia at a time when they should be striving for peace and mutual understanding.”

Read the complete statement here.

They said the proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens will make millions of people vulnerable. “As observers of India, we had not understood citizenship to be a major problem in the country when compared to so many other pressing issues of social justice,” it added. “We fear that such a programme will have deadly fallout during implementation, particularly for the 200 million Muslims living under the umbrella of the secular Constitution.”

The signatories said India’s growth and equity will suffer because of “ill-advised attempts at social engineering”. Pointing towards other urgent matters confronting humanity like nuclear weaponisation, climate crisis, hi-tech surveillance and pollution, the signatories said India will not be able to take a stand if it focussed on citizenship law.

“We question the logic of the Indian government wanting to extend citizenship to Hindus, Jains, Christians and Sikhs when there are also larger numbers of Muslims of different sects enduring intolerance in the three selected countries,” the statement said. “Among others, these include Ahmedia and Shia, particularly Hazara, of Pakistan and Ahmediya of Bangladesh. The Tamil refugees of Sri Lanka in India as well as the Rohingya, of Myanmar and in Bangladesh refugee camps, are also vulnerable.”

Citing the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees, the signatories urged the Narendra Modi-led government to be open to foreigners of any faith or persuasion who seek refuge. “The rest of South Asia has long appreciated the spirit of inclusion and social justice that has marked modern India,” they added. “We signatories of this statement are distressed by the decisive majoritarian turn in India as well as the intolerance evident in the ongoing crackdown on peaceful dissent.”

“A democratic, pluralist India that promotes solidarity, co-existence and mutual respect among diverse ethnic, religious and cultural communities within its borders is vital for a peaceful and stable South Asia as a whole,” they said.

Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens have engulfed India in the past two weeks. The protests saw peaceful marches as well as intense clashes between the police and the demonstrators. At least 24 people have died so far, including 17 in Uttar Pradesh alone.