A protest led by women against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act sprung up near Haj House, Kadru on Monday and has been likened to the stir at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, which started over a month ago and has been led by women.
The protest at State Capital’s Kadru assumes importance as various cities across the country including Lucknow, Patna, Kolkatta have witnessed Shaheen Bagh like protests. Shaheen Bagh has emerged as the epicenter of the protests in Delhi, which is being organised mainly by women.
Like protest at other cities, the Kadru protest too was lead by fair sex who were housewives, working women, college going students, teachers, and research scholars among others. The protestors outside the main entrance of Haj House have put a makeshift pandals having the pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, BR Ambedkar, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, APJ Abdul Kalam, martyrs Bhagat Singh, Chandrashekhar Azad and Ashfaqulla Khan along with slogans of Hindu Muslim unity.
The protestors chanted slogans of ‘Azadi’ and ‘CAA-NCR par Halla Bol’ and placards such as “We reject CAA, NRC and NPR”, “Hindu Muslim Sikh Isai, Aapas Mein Bhai Bhai” were also on display.
Shagufta Yashin a social worker who had come all the way from Delhi for participating at the protest said, “The CAA is just the beginning as the Modi-Shah government is planning with some sinister design against minorities and under privileged section of society.”
The woman said that the government has failed on all fronts with Country’s facing severe economic crisis, industries are getting closed, and unemployment at its peak, job cuts and adding misery to people woes is increasing inflation. She said, “The government to divert the attention of people from such core issue has brought CAA and going to introduce NRC dividing people on the basis of religion.”
Yashmin said, “The Government don’t have the resources to fulfill the needs of its own citizens by CAA is giving citizenship to people from other countries.” Echoing the views of Yashmin, another protestors, Khadija Ambreen a final year post graduate student from Aligarh Muslim University narrated the violence at her university and Jamia Millia Islamia, how students were targeted by police.
Ranchi, in past few days, has become centre of anti-CAA protest. On Sunday, former JNU student leader Omar Khalid participated at Samvidhan Bachao Desh Bachao, rally at Urs Maidan in Doranda in Ranchi to protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR).
Khalid, in his address, said women were protesting against the amended citizenship laws not only at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, but elsewhere too. “Women are actually at the forefront of the resistance in many places across the country and they deserve our salute,” said Khalid. The RJD too on Tuesday is going to hold a rally at historic Morhabadi ground protesting against CAA, NRC and NPA. Senior RJD leaders are going to participate at the protest march.
