Image Courtesy: TOI
The resolve of Kerala against the Centre’s mandate is getting stronger by the day. Kerala which is under the leadership of Pinarayi Vijayan of Communist Party of India (Marxist) has made another move against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
On the last day of the year, the Kerala Assembly passed a resolution seeking withdrawal of the CAA. This resolution was supported by all MLAs except BJP’s O Rajagopal. Vijayan also clearly stated in the Assembly that “no detention camps will come up in Kerala”. He accused the BJP of executing the RSS agenda of dividing the country on communal lines.
While addressing the Assembly he pointed towards the diverse history of the state and said, “Kerala has a long history of secularism, Greeks, Romans, Arabs, everyone reached our land. Christians and Muslims reached Kerala in the very beginning. Our tradition is of inclusiveness. Our assembly needs to keep the tradition alive.”
The Kerala CM has been vocal about his views against CAA since the day it was passed by the upper house of the Parliament by calling it ‘unconstitutional’. He had also said that the law will find no place in Kerala and his government will not implement it. He also reached out to the masses in Kerala terming the law as rejection of secularism and asked people to oppose the bill as BJP had made communalism as its main political plank.
He reiterated his past sentiment on maintaining harmony and said in the Assembly that Indian Constitution is a milestone in the fight towards citizen rights and a society based on equality and is based on democracy, secularism, equality and scientific temper.
Even MLAs belonging to Congress supported the move with VD Satheesan saying, “the NRC and CAA are the two sides of the same coin. The CAA is a clear violation of Article 13,14 and 15 of the Constitution.”
Past moves
The Kerala government in the recent past even issued an order effectively staying all activities related to updating the National Population Register which is slated to begin in April 2020. If the Centre’s, now retracted, statements are to be believed, NPR is the first step towards creation of NRC (national Register of Citizens) and hence Kerala has taken this bold step to not implement NPR. The government attributed this move majorly to people’s apprehension towards of connection between NPR and NRC.
Meanwhile Kochi also erupted in a massive protest against CAA which saw about 5 lakh people on the streets protesting.
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