Malegaon witnessed its second massive protest against the Citizenship(Amendment) Act  (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) on Monday, with only women — 50,000 as per the organisers — taking to the streets. The police, however, pegged the figure at 10,000. Speakers also called for a “non-cooperation movement” on January 26, Republic Day.

On December 15, 2019, CJP secretary Teesta Setalvad addressed the press in a hour long interaction before giving a public address at a maidan in Malegaon. In her speech, she said that Citizenship was our Constitutional right and this right was being attacked because of this government’s policies and the recent amendment to the Citizen Amendment Act 2019. She went on to say that because of Citizens for Justice and Peace’s vast experience in Assam (NRC) they were there to inform people and not let them be prey to divide and rule politics of the government.

Thereafter, on December 19, a massive protest rally was taken out against CAA and NRC in Malegaon. The rally was attended by around 60,000 people — both men and women — the police had said. Shops and schools in the area had remained shut as part of the protest.

Large sections of Muslims in Malegaon have been rushing to get their identification documents in order ever since the NRC exercise in Assam excluded 19 lakh people in September 2019. Since then, there had been a six-fold rise in applications for birth certificates submitted to the Malegaon Municipal Corporation.

This Monday’s protest saw women marching from Jamea-Tus-Swalehat Chowk to Shahidon Ki Yaadgar Chowk. The women, many of whom were accompanied by young children, began to congregate at Jamea-Tus-Swalehat, Malegaon’s oldest madrasa for women, around 2 pm. While they waited, a young protester recited Pakistani poet Faiz Ahmad’s poem Hum Dekhenge — one of many anthems at anti-CAA and anti-NRC rallies that is being studied by IIT-Kanpur for allegedly being “anti-Hindu”. Sufi Ghulam Rasool of Malegaon’s Kul Jamaati Tanzeem, a Muslim organisation, urged the protesters forward.

“Jab khawateen bahar nikalti hain tab inquilab hota hai (When women come out, there is a revolution),” he said. When the hour-long march ended, Mufti Mohammad Ismail Qasmi, the Malegaon Central MLA and patron of the Dastoor Bachao Committee, urged each woman to prepare for January 26. “On the 70th anniversary of the Republic of India, we will unfurl the National Flag on 70 buildings in Malegaon and sing the National Anthem. We will also hold protests to urge people to protect the Constitution. On Republic Day, no one should buy petrol and everyone should empty their bank accounts. Give this message to everyone in your family,” he announced.

Shan-e-Hind said that the organisers intend to emulate Mahatma Gandhi’s non-cooperation movement during the struggle for freedom. “The government only runs on money and because we give our sweat and blood. We will make as many sacrifices as necessary to save our Constitution and our country,” she added.

The organisers also invited Sultana Begum, the great granddaughter-in-law of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, to the rally. Speaking about the need to remain united, she said: “The Mughals rued over India for 800 years but never divided people on religious lines. That is why they could rule for so long. They did not change names of cities. So what gives the BJP government the right to change the names of cities and roads? And why is it only changing those which were named after Muslims?”

At the protest, a group of students from JAT Girls College came bearing the day’s most critical posters. First-year BSc student Zulfa’s poster said — “My document has been stolen by the same thief who has stolen Rafale files.” “During the Rafale controversy,  Rajnath Singh had said that he could not release information about the deal because the file had been stolen. If a minister can say that, so can I about my identification papers,” she said.

Her friend Qudsiya urged people to donate a copy of the Constitution to Home Minister Amit Shah. “The home minister said recently that he will not change the articles of the Constitution that concern the northeastern states. He clearly does not know that the Constitution is applicable to the whole country. He needs to read it,” she said. They now plan to organise a students-only rally later this month.

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Nationwide protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and Transgender Persons (Rights) Act 2019 have been planned on January 3, 2020 by the women and queer community of India on the 189^th birth anniversary of the 19th century social reformer and educator Savitribai Phule, Latestly.com reported.

https://twitter.com/DevinaB21/status/1213079858676240384

Huge turnout at the Women, Trans & Queer communities organised March on Savitri Phule’s birthday!!

Spoke of @PinkListIndia’s support and how infuriating+ridiculous it is to ask trans people to show documentation! #NafratKeKhilaafSavitribai #Jan3Rally #SavitribaiPhule @imray1795 pic.twitter.com/n3ytJcOsup

— Devina Buckshee (@DevinaB21) January 3, 2020

Her birth anniversary has been chosen to kick-start the protests for her and her peer Fatima Shaikh’s major role in the upliftment of women and the downtrodden.

More than 100 organizations have joined hands to oppose the CAA-NPR-NRC from January 3 onwards in multiple agitations across the country with the first being planned on Savitribai Phule Jayanti.

https://twitter.com/peekayty/status/1213062833128136704

Tum agar chahte ho mulq ki Khair
Na kisi humwatan ko kaho ghair

– Syeda Hameed, making a very important point in a nazm written by her friend that made its debut today#NafratKeKhilafSavitriBai#Jan3Rally #CAA_NRCProtests pic.twitter.com/pexB1wffCv

— Priyanka (@peekayty) January 3, 2020

Protests by organizations like the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA), India Network of Sex Workers, Jamia Queer Collective, Hasratein: A Queer Collective, Mahila Nigrani Parishad – Women’s Federation, Pinjra Tod, National Network of Sex Workers, etc have been planned in Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, Ranchi, Bangalore and Ahmedabad among many other cities.

https://twitter.com/aviksahaindia/status/1213078997938012160

3rd Jan
Kolkata
Trans-persons, Queer & Women Walked Against Modi-Shah’s nefarious design to divide, bleed, kill and rule India and Indians.
Was privileged to attend the start of the March from Sahid Minar. #NafratKeKhilaafSavitribai #Jan3Rally @_YogendraYadav @SwarajIndiaWb pic.twitter.com/Z1mNCIZulo

— Avik Saha (@aviksahaindia) January 3, 2020

Speaking to reporters, Swaraj India chief Yogendra Yadav said that six national-level protests had been planned in January starting with the first on January 3, the next a ‘Bharat Bandh’ planned by the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) on January 8, the third by Left organizations on Youth Day (January 12) and the fourth, fifth and sixth demonstrations on January 17, 26 and 30 respectively.

Social media has been abuzz with the hashtag #NafratKeKhilaafSavitribai and #Jan3Rally. The venue for the Mumbai rally was earlier Chaityabhoomi at Dadar (West), but has now been shifted to Shivaji Park due to last minute withdrawal of police permissions.

https://twitter.com/Labia_LBT/status/1213042025626357760

URGENT. PLEASE NOTE#mumbai#QueersAgainstCAA#NafratKeKhilaafSavitribai#JAN3RALLY pic.twitter.com/uPRfI63qB5

— LABIA – A Queer Feminist LBT Collective (@Labia_LBT) January 3, 2020

Related:

Up in Arms: A look at protests that rocked India in 2019
New Year’s resolution: Defend the Constitution

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Image Courtesy: https://www.sentinelassam.com/

Silchar, that is located in the Barak Valley, has a large Bengali population. Of the 40 lakh people excluded from the NRC final draft published on July 30, 4 lakh or 10 percent are from this region alone! The torch rally began from Rangirkhari Point and ended at the statue of Khudiram Bose and covered a distance of 3 kilometers. People carried bamboo torches and placards. 

The rally saw participation from ordinary citizens as well as over 35 citizens groups such as Unconditional Citizenship Demand Forum (UCDF), North East Linguistic and Ethic Coordination Committee (NELECC), Barak Upatyaka Banga Sahitya O Sanskriti Sammelan (BUBSOSS), Citizens Rights Preservation Coordination Committee (CRPCC), International Human Rights Association (IHRA), Rani Rasmoni Smriti Mancha (RRSM), Udayer Pathe, Assam College Teachers’ Association (ACTA), Cachar, All Bengali Youth and Students’ Association (ABYSA), All Assam Bengali Hindu Association (AABHA), Youth Against Social Evils (YASE) among others as well as general people of this town.

Slogans were raised against BJP President Amit Shah for using the word “termite” while describing people left out of the NRC. People were also angry with NRC State Coordinator Prateek Hajela with many demanding his removal. This is because it was Hajela who suddenly dropped 5 out of 15 documents from the list of documents that people can use to file Claims while submitting the Strandard Operating Procedures and Modalities for conducting the Claims and Objections process on August 5.

The documents that were dropped were seen as some of the most important documents. These are:
1.       Extract of NRC, 1951 (Legacy document)
2.       Voters list up to 1971 (Legacy document)
3.       Citizenship Certificates (Legacy document)
4.       Refugee Certificates (Legacy document)
5.       Ration card issued by the competent Authority with official seal and signature up to 24th March Midnight, 1971. (Supporting document)

This was seen as an openly anti-Bengali move, because many Bengalis who came after 1951, may not have their names in the 1951 NRC or the electoral rolls up to 1971, but they do have Citizenship Certificates and Refugee Certificates.

The SC had then sought the opinion of various stakeholders including members of All Assam Students Union (AASU) and All Assam Muslim Students Union (AAMSU). The SC also directed, on September 19, the NRC State Coordinator to submit a feasibility report for using the five dropped documents. This report is to be submitted only to the court in a sealed envelope and not to be revealed to any other judicial or legislative authority. The court adjourned the case till October 23.
 

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