“I am sorry I will not be able to mark my presence in person at the August Kranti Maidan to protest against the intended dovetailing of the CAA into the NRC. Nothing has been officially spelt out clearly at present but an atmosphere of fear has been sought to be created by our top government leaders by saying that “No Indian Muslim needs to fear”.
The definition of “Indian Muslim” has not been spelt out and even after it is spelt out a process of establishing which Muslim is a Indian will entail immense trouble and anxiety to the poor and illiterate who do not have any documents to prove their birth in this country.
This inability to prove the date and place of birth will be a common experience for all who are Indians but who have not gone to school. If they are Hindus the CAA will exempt them but their Muslim brethren will face harassment.
The cost of establishing a bureaucracy to carry out this exercise and the cost of feeding lakhs of poor in detention camps till their deaths will be so humongous that I feel that it is insane to attempt the exercise.
I join thousands of Mumbaikars who condemn this insane move, born out of hate.”