By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, Jan. 2
Nearly 100 organisations, across the country including “Swaraj India” have decided to fight the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register (NPR) from 3 January, 2020 onwards in multiple agitations.
While addressing media at the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS) in North East Mumbai, “Swaraj India” National President Yogendra Yadav said that as of now, at least six national-level protests have been planned in January. The first protest is intended to happen on “Savitribai Phule Divas”, January 3, 2020. The next protest is “Bharat Bandh”, planned by CITU and other left-oriented organisations on January 8. The third protest is envisaged on the “Youth Day” (January 12) while the fourth one is planned on the death anniversary of “Rohith Vemula/social justice day” (January 17). Fifth and sixth protests will be held on January 26 (Republic Day) and concluding protest will be held on January 30(Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary).
Yadav was in Mumbai to take part in a panel discussion organized by the students union on CAA-NRC-NPR -”The confusion, the struggle and the voices”. However non-TISS students were denied entry into the campus attend the discussion.
Yadav, said in the national coordination meeting held after the discussion, saw participation from nearly100 organisations across the country during which a month-long campaign was planned, under the banner ‘We The People of India’. The organisers have been asked the protestors to hold protests under the same banner-which is also the first four words of the Indian Constitution.
Accusing the government of repressing the voice of the people in connection with the recent clampdown on the rioters by the police in different parts of the country, Yadav asserted that the protest will entail a call for a boycott of NRC, NPR and CAA by the participating organisations. He also added that a request will be made to the government to declare their intentions regarding the implementation of the NRC in a standard formalised manner.
The discussion which was held to chart the future course of action regarding anti-CAA stirs as attended by Rashtriya Seva Dal President Ganesh Devi, student leader Kanhaiya Kumar, “United Against Hate” member Umar Khalid, Kavita Krishnan, Medha Patkar and the controversial activist Harsh Mander, known for constituting skewed hate-tracker.
