The power of the student movements witnessed across the country was reflected at a protest meeting against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in the city on Monday, as scores of students and activists joined social activist Medha Patkar in expressing their dissent against the laws. In acknowledgement, Ms.Patkar said the rest of the country is ready to move ahead in these protests under the leadership of the students.
The protest march organised by the Kerala Samsthana Janakeeya Prathirodha Samithi, culminated at the Gandhi Park.
Calling the act unconstitutional and unjust for knowingly excluding Muslims, she said that it puts lakhs of innocent citizens under the category of doubtful citizens.
No certificate
“The NPR need to be met with our own NPR, the National People's Resistance. This NCR should be met with our own NCRs, the National Resistance against Communalism, against capitalism and against casteism. Advocacy of justice, of equity and of secularism is a duty and responsibility of every citizen. We don’t need a certificate for the same. We are dutybound to do that. It is unfortunate that some of those who swear with their hands on the Constitution don’t feel committed to be bound by either fundamental rights or the democratic framework,” she said.
She said that the current Central Government, unlike Governments in the past, has not initiated dialogues with protesters, but intends to quell it using brute force.
“When they attack students, it is clear that they are scared of them. When the Government is scared of its own people, it doesn't come forward to have a dialogue. They only throw the police upon us, use barbaric force and attack physically. They have not held a single meeting with people's movements and with other political parties heading the States,” she said.
Ms.Patkar commended the Kerala Government for passing a joint resolution with the opposition in the assembly against CAA and NRC, and expressed hope that the State will stick to its stand. She also appealed to the Chief Minister to release unconditionally Alan Shuhaib and Thaha Fazal, arrested under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
She recounted the experience of visiting Muzaffarnagar as part of a fact-finding mission to study police atrocities during the anti-CAA protests. She spoke at length about how innocent Muslims, both minors and people above 80 years of age, were targetted without mercy, even though they were not even part of the protests. Recounting her experience at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, where more than a lakh gathered on Sunday night to express solidarity with the women who are on an indefinite protest, she said that the women have shaken not just the country, but their own community and the patriarchy that rules the society.
Poet Kureepuzha Sreekumar said that if the BJP continues to use such sieves to ascertain the true citizens of the country, only the adivasis, the original inhabitants will be left in the land.
Boomerang
“Be careful when you use this tool. It could turn against you like a boomerang. You are the successors of the Aryans, who came to the country much later. You could be the first ones to go out. The struggle against this act is not just a struggle of Muslims, but for all humans,” he said.
Students representing various universities, including Jamia Milia Islamia, Pondicherry University, Hyderabad Central University and others spoke on the need to sustain the struggle. The event began with a street play on people of particular religions getting hunted in the name of citizenship.
