Voices against Citizenship Amendment Act, National Registry of Citizens rent air at People's Plaza

Hyderabad: December 19 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 the day, nationwide protests took place against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Citizens against NRC and CAA organised a large public protest at People's Plaza, Necklace Road, from 3 pm. The protest saw participation of a few 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 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 was the patriotic act of today in memory of the sacrifices of freedom fighters. The 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.

They contended that the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill (2019) in the Parliament had led to widespread protests across the country by citizens because together with National Registry of Citizens (NRC), the Citizenship Amendment Act would divide citizens based on religion, and will also affect the poor, uneducated and marginalized communities in a big way.

'Citizens against NRC and CAA' is a broad citizens' platform which includes citizens from diverse backgrounds standing against the unjust laws, including many rights-based organisations.