Thousands of Mumbaikars turned up at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on Friday to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the alleged police brutalities against protesters in various States.
The protest was organised by the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which had also organised the protest at the August Kranti Maidan on December 19.
While the JAC had earlier planned a march from Jijamata Udyan in Byculla to Azad Maidan, the plan was changed because of issues with police permission.
Recites poem
Writer and comedian Varun Grover and social activist Umar Khalid addressed the protesters.
“The NRC is being made out to be a Muslim issue. But it is Indians who are protesting against it, not Muslims,” Mr. Grover said, before going on to recite his poem Hum Kaagaz Nahi Dikhaenge (We will not show documents).
The title, which Mr. Grover shared on social media earlier this week, has gone on to become a slogan by itself.
Several protesters were seen chanting it and displaying it on placards on Thursday.
Mr. Khalid, who was arrested by the Delhi police while protesting outside the Red Fort earlier this month, said he was proud to be standing in a State from where such inspirational figures as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Babasaheb Ambedkar and Narendra Dabholkar hailed.
Referring to the August Kranti Maidan protest, which was held on the same day as freedom fighters Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan were martyred, Mr. Khalid said, “On the night of December 19 this year, the spirits of Bismil and Ashfaq met. Ashfaq asked how thousands of people turned up on their death anniversary this year, as opposed to a few that would turn up to pay tribute every year. To which Bismil smiled and said, Modi hai toh mumkin hai .”
He also touched upon the reports from Uttar Pradesh, where over 20 people have been killed so far.
“We need to stop referring to Ajay Singh Bisht as ‘Yogi’ and start calling him by his real name. The same man who made speeches about killing ten Muslims for every dead Hindu is now the Chief Minister. He is not a CM but a goon,” Mr. Khalid said.
The protest also included first-hand accounts of police brutalities from students of Aligarh Muslim University, as well as of the atrocities in Assam. from the natives of the state. It also featured performances from students of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the Kabir Kala Manch.
As with earlier cases, the creativity of the people was on full display in the form of placards which dotted the scene as far as the eye could reach. The protestors were from all demographics and kept up their sloganeering for nearly four hours till the protest ended.
“I have only recently started wearing a hijab. I never wore one earlier but if this is how they are going to identify us now, then so be it. I might as well embrace this identity and be proud of it,” Abeer Sheikh (30), a Mumbai Central resident said.
