December 19th is the anniversary of martyrdom of Ashfaqullah Khan and Ramprasad Bismil who fought together against the British and were hanged on the same day. Ramprasad Bismil's poem “Sarfaroshi ki Tamanna ab hamare dil mein hai” resonates with Indians across the country even today. On this occasion, nationwide protests are happening against Citizenship Amendment Act and NRC, under the name "We the People" or "Hum Bharat ke Log"
Citizens across the country are asserting that our Independence, Constitution and Citizenship were won by Shared Sacrifice, and we are a nation of Shared Heritage, therefore we demand Equal Citizenship for all religions without discrimination.
“Citizens against NRC and CAA” organized a large public protest at People's Plaza, Necklace Road from 3 p.m. onwards. The protest saw participation of more than a thousand citizens from a broad cross section of people - students, women, organizations working for human rights, domestic workers, minority rights and welfare, Dalits, housing rights of slum-dwellers, adivasis, farmers and agricultural workers.
The participants read out the Preamble of the Constitution and pledged to protect the Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic of India. They distributed pamphlets titled “Don't Use Citizenship as a Weapon against the Poor, Minorities, Women, Dalits and Adivasis." At the end of the meeting copies of the Citizenship Amendment Act were torn by the whole gathering declaring that this is the patriotic act of today in memory of the sacrifices of our freedom fighters. Meeting ended with singing the National Anthem.
Speakers included Prof.Rama Melkote, Dr. Asma Zehra, Prof.Haragopal, Prof Zameelunnisa, Prof.Kodandaram, Kirankumar Vissa, and several representatives of student organizations from OU, HCU, TISS, Osmania Medical college, etc.
The passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill (2019) in the Parliament has led to widespread protests across the country by citizens because together with National Registry of Citizens (NRC), the Citizenship Amendment Act will divide citizens based on religion, and will also affect the poor, uneducated and marginalized communities in a big way.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (2019) which has been passed in the current Parliament session goes against basic tenets of Constitution including secularism and Right to Equality, and is a clear exercise in discrimination against the Muslim community. The National Registry of Citizens (NRC) has already created havoc in Assam for the past 6 years. Now the Home Minister has declared that it will be implemented in the entire country, and this will trample on the lives and rights of the poor, the homeless or landless, adivasis, Dalits, women, old people, minorities and all disadvantaged people.
“Citizens against NRC and CAA” is a broad citizens' platform includes citizens from diverse backgrounds standing against the unjust laws, including many rights-based organizations.
