Javed Akhtar The Foreign Office has been heavily criticized for saying passports are travel documents and not proof of citizenship. The veteran writer and lyricist called the position absurd and raised tough questions about how authorities distinguish between genuine citizens and illegal immigrants.
Javed Akhtar’s sharp response to MEA
The controversy arose during the 14th Passport Seva Diva Awards when the MEA said that a passport is primarily a travel document issued to facilitate international travel and possession of a passport does not in itself constitute citizenship. The statement sparked heated debate on social media, especially since Indian passports are only issued to Indian citizens.The 81-year-old questioned X about the logic behind the department’s stance. He wrote, “The Ministry of External Affairs says that a passport is a travel document and not a proof of citizenship. Really? Are they providing a travel document to someone without being fully convinced that the person is an Indian citizen? This is ridiculous.”When another user points out a similar document Adharvoter ID and PAN card are also not considered proof of citizenship, Akhtar doubled down. He responded: “Who within the system gives such unconditional help to these illegal immigrants. In this bad situation, except for the whims of some petty officials, how can they distinguish fake citizens from real citizens.”
What counts as proof of Indian citizenship?
The debate has brought renewed attention to the issue of what actually constitutes conclusive evidence of Indian citizenship. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court clarified during the Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls hearing that Aadhaar is not a conclusive proof of citizenship and serves only as an identity document. Likewise, a voter ID card is considered an identity and residence document and not a citizenship document.According to the Indian Citizenship Act, a person born in the country on or after January 26, 1950 and before July 1, 1987 is a citizen by birth. For persons born after July 1987, birthright citizenship applies if at least one of the parents is an Indian citizen. For those born on or after December 3, 2004, both parents must be Indian citizens, or one parent must be a citizen and the other parent was not an illegal immigrant at the time of birth.
