Single Citizenship only allows the people to represent their nation. The Indian constitution allows its citizens to hold single citizenship. They cannot claim separate citizenship of their states or provinces. The aim behind the implementation of such a doctrine is to develop a sense of nationalism among the native people. One’s devotion and love for his country gradually develops through years of participation in ethnic, cultural, and philosophic events. The mutual tolerance of each other’s traditions and cultures enhances unity among the countrymen. 

Single Citizenship also inspires the fundamental rights and responsibilities of each citizen. A person regardless of his religion or caste can roam across the country being unquestioned. Federations do not offer single citizenship i.e.; each individual enjoys the citizenship of his state as well as that of the country. The Federation must be associated with the state or birthplace of the native to offer the person double citizenship. In a nutshell, the states within a Federation do not claim themselves as sovereignty but at the same moment do not lose their prominence. For example, in the United States of America, a person enjoys citizenship rights of the state where he lives and at the same time, he is also an American by birth. In India, a person is only offered single citizenship. When a man is born in Kerala, his only identity is that he is an Indian. No one from other states or even people from outside the country will ever consider his state of domicile, i.e., Kerala as the basis of his citizenship. 

What is Single Citizenship in Independent India? 

The Indian Government offers single citizenship to its natives. The proposition of single citizenship in India is inspired by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. The Preamble of the Indian Union is a modified version of the Irish Constitution. Thus, this ideology has been prevalent since the pre-independent era. Regardless of their birthplace, the Indians do not represent any state. The same rule applies to the residents of all the seven union territories. They only have one identity – citizens of the Indian Union.

The Citizenship Act of India

On 30th December 1955, the Indian Parliament sanctioned the Citizenship Act. To date, this act has been amended six times. The law was revised last time in 2019. The Indian Government can terminate the citizenship of a person if he disclaims his identity through a declaration addressing the District Magistrate or the Deputy Commissioner.  The Act discusses the various methods of inheriting Indian citizenship under distinct sections of the article. The possible ways included citizenship by birth, lineage, nationalization, or registration. Naturalization is the process that converts foreigners into Indians. The third section of the Citizenship Act specifies that a migrant must spend a minimum of twelve years in India before applying for single citizenship. Overseas Indian natives enjoy lifelong VISA provisions to freely roam across the country.

Single Citizenship in India – Key Aspects 

  • It is imaginable that the notion of single citizenship is deliberately implemented in India. 
  • The Constitutional heads like Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Surendranath Mukherjee, Sir Benegal Narsing Rau, and others desired to eradicate regionalism from the very core of the Indian social structure. The security and social status of the minor classes faced considerable exploitation in the past which resulted from sharp retaliations against the oppressors. This time, the Drafting Committee wanted to eliminate every probable cause that may lead to such hostilities again. According to them, civil outrages might arise again if double citizenship was provided like federal countries. 
  • Double citizenship is likely to diminish the sense of unity and patriotism among the Indians. One might get more inclined towards his own state’s traditions and completely ignore the sentiments of his neighboring states. This will create a communication gap that is likely to affect nationalistic emotions. 
  • We also cannot deny the chances of increased selfishness among the people of individual states if the Indian Constitution provided double citizenship. This would create problems at a global level due to a lack of common interests. 
  • Single Citizenship has imprinted the image of the whole Indian map in the brains of each Indian citizen. Nobody imagines the map of his state when he/she is asked about his/her homeland. This sense of unity has developed through years of diverse cultural nurture. 

Conclusion 

Citizenship provides authority to a person to leave or come back to the nation at his own will. Single citizenship only acknowledges the identity of an individual as a native to his country. The domicile state does not provide citizenship to any Indians. The aim is to inspire a growing sense of unity and patriotism among the Indians.