Implementation of the Indian Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019:

An Assessment Through Sentiment Analysis

Naim Mathlouthi

Khizra Anwaar

Muhammad Uzair

 

Abstract: The study focuses on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), enacted by the Indian legislature, which has sparked a charged debate regarding its impact on India's social, legal, and political landscape. The study will examine the efficacy of CAA implementation through public sentiment analysis, a correlation matrix, and linear and logistic regression. It explores five factors: public sentiments, media coverage, legal actions and court rulings, public protests and government statements and actions. By comparing CAA with similar citizenship laws, the paper provides a nuanced understanding of its successes and shortcomings. The findings indicate that while CAA provided humanitarian relief and garnered significant local political support, concerns about discrimination, administrative inefficiencies, and widespread public opposition emerged as significant issues. The results of sentiment analysis have highlighted a high level of subjectivity in media coverage, with a mixed reception and a slightly positive overall tone. An 80% accuracy is observed in the logistic regression model for predicting the Act’s outcomes. However, the model has struggled in forecasting successes, highlighting the polarised public opinion on this contentious legislation. The successful implementation of the CAA is uncertain due to its polarising nature. While formal success can be a matter of projection by the State, the real effectiveness of the law will depend on how well it engages with social integration and overcomes accusations of bias.