It may seem ironical to many, but it is a fact that the Modi government, while celebrating on the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhi, has come up with the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which is being considered by the Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues as fulfilling Gandhi’s dream of making India a safe heaven for refugees seeking asylum from being persecuted by Islamic nations of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
That CAA specifies only these three countries, conspicuously leaving out Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Tibet and China and lists only Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Buddhist and Christians, leaving out Muslim refugees as eligible for Indian citizenship. It appears to betray the intention of the Modi government: Polarise the country on communal lines.
But what is not much known to many is that, Gandhi’s first Satyagraha – nonviolent civil disobedience movement – was against the racist citizenship law of General Smutt’s government of South Africa in 1906. General Smutt had to repeal the law after thousands of people of Asian origin resorted to mass civil disobedience movement by tearing the registration papers.
To justify the new citizenship legislation, the statement of Gandhi is being misquoted. What is forgotten is that Gandhi, after the partition of India in 1947, had wanted all to enjoy equal citizenship rights both the two countries.
The protesting youth, both men and women, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh and Christians, believe that the new citizenship law and the accompanying administrative measures are against what Gandhiji stood for. The first organized peaceful demonstration against CAA was by the students and faculty members of the Jamia Millia Islamia followed by those of the Aligarh Muslim University.
Reminiscent of the nation-wide nonviolent protest against the infamous Rowlett Act and the British Raj’s ruthless police brutalities to suppress it, the Delhi police and the police in Uttar Pradesh unleashed a reign of terror on the campuses.
While the youth had the sagacity of adopting the Gandhian path of peaceful protest, the government followed the brutal ways of the British colonial police. The difference between the behaviour of protesting youth and the repressive government could not be more stark.
While attempt was made to create a Hindu-Muslim divide with the propaganda by stating that only Muslims were leading the anti-CAA agitation, the fact is, members of all religious communities joined hands in the widespread protests. True, Muslims, largely women, held 24x7 sit-in protests in scores of cities and small towns, but they received wide support from Hindu, Sikh and Christian men.
The UP government reportedly unleashed bands of newly recruited ‘police sahayaks’ (constabulary employed on contract) on Muslims in several towns and state capital Lucknow to beat up men and children, loot and plunder their households and even sexually brutalize boys after dragging them out from madrasas.
While attempt was made to create a Hindu-Muslim divide with the propaganda by stating that only Muslims were leading the anti-CAA agitation, the fact is, members of all religious communities joined hands in the widespread protests. True, Muslims, largely women, held 24x7 sit-in protests in scores of cities and small towns, but they received wide support from Hindu, Sikh and Christian men.
The UP government reportedly unleashed bands of newly recruited ‘police sahayaks’ (constabulary employed on contract) on Muslims in several towns and state capital Lucknow to beat up men and children, loot and plunder their households and even sexually brutalize boys after dragging them out from madrasas.
The exemplary Hindu-Muslim unity seen during the anti-CAA protests had parallels with the Khilafat movement (1919-1924), a century ago, when Mahatma Gandhi had lent support to Mohammed Ali and Shaukat Ali brothers. The Shaheen Baug sit-in protest largely by Muslim women is also witnessing momentous unity among all religious communities. Sikhs have been running a community kitchen for the Satyagrahis of Shaheen Baug.
The glaring contrast between the anti-CAA protesters and those opposing them can also be seen in their symbols, style and statements. The Shaheen Baug satyagrahis are waving the national flag and vowing their allegiance to the Indian Constitution, hailing Mahatma Gandhi, Baba Saheb Ambedkar and Bhagat Singh. BJP supporters are reported to have hurled pejorative slogans, slut-shaming women and threatening to shoot who they call ‘Desh ke gaddar’ (traitors of the country).
The present popular anti-CAA movement across the country, whose common war cry is ‘Hum ladh ke lenge azadi’ (we will fight to reclaim our freedom), draws inspiration from India’s nonviolent freedom struggle against the British rule led by Mahatma Gandhi. The parallels between the present and the past struggles are far too many.
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*Senior Ahmedabad-based journalist, grandson of Mahadev Desai, Mahatma Gandhi’s personal secretary
Comments
You increase Mulim POPULATION IN INDIA, INDIA AS WE KNOW WILL DISAPPEAR.
I SAW 1947 PARTITION. I HAVE LEARNT FROM IT. THE AUTHOR IS IGNORANT ABOUT IT. SORRY.
We should be known, hence, a nation with dignity of self before dignity of the other.
The problem is to cut resourses that are keeping them well even when feeding on India and hating India.
This happened in Kashmir for seventy years. Congress was not going to do anything, they could govern anyway.
Here in the USA we burnt people alive in Wavo Texas years ago. These people did not obey US laws.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND LAW, ORDER AND PUNISHMENT
The propaganda machinery has made a section of the people blind to assess the hidden agenda of the hate-mongers. They're power seekers. The Muslim women with other non-muslim sisters have taught us a lesson of equality, liberty and fraternity that's the beauty of our lovely country, India. We have to be united to ask our rulers to seek votes only on the basis of their good works. Talk of education, homes, health, potable water,roads, employment etc. Delhi is the best example of the good governance that can be replicated across the country.
Who r the persons / organisations (Muslims, RSS / Hindu Mahasabha, Congress, Muslim League, British or some other forces) responsible for partition of our greatest country ie India???
Which ideologies caused partition of our greatest nation as people & their organisations r influenced by the ideologies???
I request my Indian & other friends to plz try to spare some of your precious time to study a book written by non other than the BJP stalwart Mr Jaswant Singh as he served as Indian foreign minister as well as defence minister under the Vajpayee Govt.
There's no shortage of good books of history written by world renowned historians of India, Europe, US etc.
The truth is that Hindu Mahasabha was formed in 1914 & it passed a unanimous resolution in its national executive in 1915 that "Muslims must be given a separate land in independent India as we the Hindu can't afford to live with them after country attain independence".
RSS was formed in 1923 & it also passed the similar & unanimous resolution in its national executive in 1924 which Hindu Mahasabha had passed in 1915.
British too were interested in keeping India a weaker nation by dividing it between Hindu & Muslims so that independent India is not able to challange them (Britain) & their other colonies like China as it (China) was under them (Britain) at the time India got independence. So, they (British) used Jinnah & his Muslim league to fall in line with the demands of RSS & Hindu Mahasabha & subsequently, Jinnah raised the issue.
Congress's Nehru, Patel, few others alike wanted absolute power. And it (absolute power) wouldn't have been possible without partition as Jinnah & few others alike of Muslim league were demanding younger brother's share in power distribution.
Therefore, our beloved & greatest country suffered irreparably at both the ends ie in the process of division as thousands of innocent people got killed & also afterwards that undivided India would have been far more stronger than the present day's India.
It's absolutely right that undivided India would have been stronger than China, UK, USA etc.
I'm so sorry to state here that some people & their political parties r trying to divide India again on communal lines. And few educated & elites too r helping those forces via their comments, posts etc on social & other media. This's most unfortunate.
Let's plan to pray & try that the divisive forces don't succeed in their gameplan.
Regards
as a country we have bigger problems to solve than worry about religion. A country which brings religions to the streets would get destroyed. Practice religion within your house and practice humanity on the streets (and at home too)
on earth. Do you know that things on earth are so bad that life in other parts of universe have shielded themselves so that people can never get close to them. THIS IS THE PROBLEM TO SOLVE AND THIS EGO RELIGIOUS THINKING NEEDS TO BE ABANDONED.