The ongoing protests in various parts of India against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) have now found reverberation in Australia as well.
On December 22, amidst a chorus of Saare jahan se achha, Hindustan humara, a popular Indian patriotic song, a group of alumni of New Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh’s Aligarh Muslim University protested against the CAA, NRC and the ongoing communication blockade in some parts of India, at a protest rally in Melbourne.
They also condemned the police action against the students of their alma mater in India who revolted against CAA and NRC in India.
Chants like ‘Long live secular India’, ‘Long live Indian Constitution’ were heard outside the Parliament of Victoria.
Wajib Ali, a sitting legislator from the western Indian state of Rajasthan also joined forces with these protesters.
Calling the amendment to India’s citizenship laws ‘discriminatory towards Muslims’ and ‘against the Constitution of India’, former students of the two universities chanted slogans to show solidarity with the protesting students of their alma mater who have reportedly been manhandled by the police in India.
“(This) protest is against the police brutality on peaceful protesters of Jamia Millia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University and other citizens … since this Act was passed. This protest is against a tacit ploy to discriminate in the name of religion. It’s against the government’s muzzling of the voice of student protestors,” said Bilal Mir, an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia University, who resides in Melbourne.
The current protests in India sparked off in India’s capital city, New Delhi.
Jamia Millia Islamia University, on December 15, became a flashpoint when police used force to control students who had revolted against the idea of CAA and NRC.
Within a couple of days, this movement spread to Aligarh Muslim University too, not far from the national capital.
Mr Ali, who belongs to the Indian National Congress, the main opposition party in India, joined the protest targeted at the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party government. A current Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Rajasthan, Mr Ali is an alumnus of Jamia Millia Islamia University as well as Central Queensland University, Sydney.
“I’m sad when I see the government misusing their votebank agenda… Indian Muslims decided to stay in India because they loved their nation and rejected another nation based on religion … Since this new government came into power seven years ago, they have tried to play with the Constitution to fulfil their own agendas,” he said to a crowd of roughly a hundred, sitting on the stairs of Parliament House on a bright, sunny Sunday afternoon.
The protesters highlighted that this protest is not ‘anti-India’, ‘anti-Hindu’ or ‘pro-Muslim’. They added it was against the “fascist government that is currently using their muscle-power to supress any peaceful voice.
Tanvi Mor, another protester stressed that the basic problem about the new legislative amendment in India is “the poisonous combination of CAA and NRC”.
“As we have already understood, this is about welcoming non-Muslim minorities and giving them citizenship. How can we say this is an inclusive policy? Why exclude one minority? What is the reason behind it,” she questioned, adding that CAA and NRC are aimed at “creating fear in the minds of Muslims”.
However, not everyone protesting was of Indian origin.
Socialist Alliance Melbourne’s Sue Bolton and National Tertiary Education Union’s Liam Ward also showed solidarity with the voices that condemned CAA and NRC.
According to reports, 23 protesters across India have lost their lives in protests rallies against CAA and NRC. On December 22, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi defended his government’s stance on CAA and NRC in a massive rally in New Delhi.
Listen to SBS Punjabi Monday to Friday at 9 pm. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
