In a statement released recently, women’s groups and intellectuals have condemned attempts to pin the blame for the Delhi violence on people peacefully protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Many of the peaceful protests such as the sit-in at Shaheen Bagh have been led by women.
The statement says, “This is a moment when we need our governments to give us justice, reassurance and relief. But what we see instead is that the State, a section of the media, and vested interests creating even more hate. Instead of taking action against an erring police force, and against those who openly instigated and perpetrated this violence, we find them trying to pin the blame on the women for protesting peacefully.” It adds, “What we are witnessing is a concerted misinformation campaign that criminalises the protestors, spins conspiracy theories and targets all those who supported the protests.”
Showcasing the diversity of women who spearheaded these peaceful protests, the statement says, “We are proud that Muslim women led these protests, in the best tradition of our freedom struggle, and proud that we joined this struggle with them, in full measure as Indians – as students, women’s rights activists and queer groups, people’s movements, farmers and workers collectives, and as ordinary citizens; to fight for justice, harmony and peace for all. Clearly, something resonated in the soul of India, which is why in over 300 places, women sat and many still sit on our streets to be heard, to be visible as democratic citizens. This is surely what women’s empowerment is all about. This is what India must celebrate and stand behind.”
The statement further says, “We say, across identities of religion, caste, class, gender, sexuality and ability that we oppose the proposed National Population Register (NPR), Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).” It makes the following demands:
·Action be taken against those who have conducted systematic hate campaigns, spread falsehood, instigated and perpetrated the violence.
·False cases be withdrawn against protestors exercising their democratic rights.
·The Union government withdraw NPR-CAA-NRC, and initiate dialogue with the protesting women without any further delay.
·The Delhi government delink the NPR from the Census.
·State efforts be expedited to provide time bound relief and compensation to families of all who lost lives in the Delhi violence, and full rehabilitation to those displaced.
The entire statement may be read here: