“We Have Come to Protest Against CAA in the Name of Dharma”

NEW DELHI: Protesters gathered at New Delhi’s Dargah Shah e Mardan near Jor Bagh, holding posters of Babarao Ambedkar and Chandrashekar Azad and carrying the Indian flag. The protest was called to demand the “unconditional release of Chandrashekhar Azad and other innocent detainees.” The protesters also called for the “unconditional” withdrawal of the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register.

They plan to march to the prime minister’s residence on Lok Kalyan Marg. A woman protester told The Citizen that she's more afraid now, after the Jama Masjid protest, where large crowds had gathered to protest against the NRC. Chandrashekhar Azad Ravan was arrested after he addressed the crowd. “They tag us as 'deshdrohi' (anti-national), for me they are anti-national for not speaking up for us,” she said, wanting to remain anonymous.

Panjo, another woman protester, said, “Our country got free in 1947 only so the government doesn't have to worry about our freedom.” “Free our Chandrasekhar,” Panjo added. “We will consider that as our freedom.”

“Today this government has cheated us, tomorrow it will cheat you too,” said another protester, Shahna.

There were many women protesters in the crowd, but only a handful of women police constables. A trend at anti-CAA protests across the country has been women’s participation, with women coming out in large numbers to join the protests.

Another protester, who had come with her child, said “We have come to protest against CAA and NRC, and in the name of dharma.”

“They made us run after Aadhaar and are now torturing us for NRC. Aadhaar could be used as identification of a person, then why do we need to again prove our identity?” asked Hussaina.

People spoke about how the NRC and CAA will work against everyone irrespective of religion. Slogans such as ‘Inquilab Zindabad’, ‘Chandrasekhar Azad ko azad karo’, ‘Ambedkar raj zindabad' filled the air, as the crowd resolved, “We won’t let them drive us out of our country.”