Uphold the Constitution and raise no religious slogans seem to be the mantra of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) campaigners especially those from the minority community members, as they realise the risks involved in the religion-based campaigns.
The Kerala Lawyers Forum, a feeder organisation of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), planned to highlight the Constitutional aspects of the enactment that would hit everyone hard, said Muhammad Shah, the State president of the forum.
Campaigns on the legal issues were needed to prevent extremist elements from flaring communal feelings up. There shall not be any communally charged speeches but calls for protecting the Constitutional values. The community needed to be reminded that they could freely practise their religion only if the Constitution prevailed in the country, he said.
The forum would undertake training and awareness programmes among the community members and religious leaders across the State. The first such programme, to be held in December 28 at Kannur, was being planned as a training session for Master Trainers. The forum was in touch with the organisations of lawyers of other political parties, he said.
A survey to list out the identity documents in possession of the members of the vulnerable sections would be held. Such a database was required to help them procure additional documents that may be required to prove their domicile, he said.
The forum would offer legal support to the protests against the legislation and would campaign for upholding the Constitutional values and secularism, said Abu Siddik, general secretary of the organisation.
While explaining its opposition to the legislation, it would also make people aware of the legal remedies to fight the legislation, Mr. Siddik said.
Muhammad Riyas, the national president of DYFI, said the organisation was against giving communal colour to the resistance, as the issue affected all sections of the society. The call for hartal on the issue by some organisations was in the wrong direction. The DYFI had moved the Supreme Court against the legislation. The State units of the organisation had been asked to generate data from among the society that would help the legal battle, he said.
According to C.P. Pramod, the State secretary of the All India Lawyers Union, said the campaign against CAA should be secular in its content and approach. The State conference of the organisation to be held in Kochi next week would give shape to an action plan. Awareness campaigns had already been conducted in various centre, he said.
