Why Rich, Endowed and Most Benefited from Indian Democracy, Denouncing their Citizenship?

GG News Bureau

New Delhi, 13^th Oct. Wealthy and successful people preferred moving abroad to live. When they become accustomed to the culture and other amenities of those nations, they renounce their Indian citizenship. What was once a trickle has grown to be much more substantial? 1.63 lakh Indians renounced their citizenship in 2020–2021 in order to acquire citizenship in another country. Comparing this number to where it was five years ago, it has doubled. In 2021, travelers preferred to travel to the US. Indians gained American citizenship in numbers exceeding 78,000. Australia (23,533), Canada (21,597), the United Kingdom (14,637), Italy (5,986), and other predominantly western nations are among the other popular travel destinations.

In a written response to the question asked as so many people are denouncing their citizenships, the Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai stated that the reasons for denunciating their citizenship and giving up their Indian passports, were “personal to them.”

Why are these people giving up their Indian passports now, as we enter the “Amrit Kaal,” as the Narendra Modi government refers to the time between India’s 75th Independence Day and its 100th in 2047? They seem to dislike both the Indian flag and India. They chose to become adopted sons and daughters, but why?

Only one thing is certain

This migration is not being pushed. With rare exceptions, those who chose to relocate were well-educated, wealthy, and privileged. Because of persecution, famine, or civil war in India, they are not making this decision.

Approximately 8,000 High Networth Individuals, or HNIs, will leave India this year, according to a report by the London-based global citizenship and residence advisory Henley & Partners (H&P). This is the exodus of the wealthy and intelligent. There are several clear reasons why wealthy and well-off Indians, who benefited most from Indian democracy, are renouncing their citizenship. The most typical justification is that the other side of the fence is greener. Such choices may frequently be motivated by the pursuit of financial gains. Additionally, the West has a higher standard of living and less dangerous pollution.

Another reason could be that individual tax rates are lower than in India in places like the UAE and Singapore. Many Indians had used this tactic before the Modi government decided to crack down on tax cheats and black money, allowing family members to stay abroad for 182 or more days.

By definition, this made them “non-residents” with foreign accounts and businesses, which family members could use to hide money.

The exodus of Indians is also attributed to affirmative action policies in India, which provides a clue as to which social group is migrating most frequently. The Brahmins are compelled to leave the country because of India’s affirmative action laws, according to The Economist’s commentary. However, this argument is invalid because affirmative action is only used for government jobs, which make up a very small portion of the overall labor market. That proportion is even lower in high-paying jobs.

Due to India’s ban on dual citizenship, many people may also be converting their H1B visas. There are two reasons for this departure from the status of Indian citizen. Since only wealthy Indians have the means to leave, they do so for two reasons: first, they already have strong secessionist tendencies.

We can easily observe the rich’s secessionist tendencies if we look at urban elite spaces. They have their own security systems, reverse osmosis water supplies, private power generators, and even private recreation areas in their colonies or apartments. In a sense, these colonies serve as independent micro nations. Their interaction with the State only becomes apparent when a crime or disaster occurs. RWAs act as a sort of local government in the majority of these colonies, which are gated communities.

Government-run healthcare and educational facilities are hardly ever used by this class. The fact that they share the same air is a major issue, but air purifiers have also addressed this issue. When the elites were made to share these spaces with the underclass, Covid-19 proved to be an equaliser, but that is one of the exceptions. Under normal circumstances, their needs are met by a separate private infrastructure. This class takes a vacation abroad. These people enrol their children in institutions connected to international boards. For them, global citizenship and the global village are not abstract ideas or concepts. There are individuals in India who embrace these ideas and leave at the first chance.

One must meet a certain financial and educational requirement to immigrate to the western world, particularly to the top five destinations for Indians, as the granting of citizenship has become more stringent over time. This group will fall within the top 1% of Indians just by meeting that threshold. Particularly in the US, where nearly 50% of Indian migrants arrive, the H1B visa or other forms of long-term and permanent residency are typically granted to highly qualified and highly compensated people. The majority of Indians find it difficult to even consider moving to that nation because of this restriction.

In any case, the sanctimoniousness of discourses like “national pride” and “love for one’s own nation” should be reframed in light of the fact that wealthy Indians are choosing foreign passports and others are probably dreaming to renounce their Indian citizenship at the first opportunity.

The lines separating nations may become less distinct as India becomes more integrated into world economies. India’s underclass and poor must bear the burden of nationalistic pride up until that point.