Hate crime: 'Act against BJP, RSS leaders, repeal of CAA-NPR-NRC programme'

Counterview Desk
In a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind, about 1200+ citizens ranging from farmers to housemakers to academics, retired bureaucrats and senior citizens to civil society activists, doctors and lawyers to journalists, have endorsed a statement seeking his intervention for the repeal of the Citizens Amendment Act-National Population Register-National Register of Citizens (CAA-NPR-NRC) immediately.
Celebrating two years of the Shaheen Bagh protests which rocked Delhi in 2019, in an open letter, they said, "The CAA-NPR-NRC project of the government of India has been deeply problematic since it was first proposed and rushed through Parliament."
"In fact", the letter said, "Starting in the Shaheen Bagh area of New Delhi in late 2019, protests against it rose spontaneously in over 100 neighbourhood sites across the nation, and indeed the globe. These protests articulated the Constitutional right of every citizen of India to be treated as an equal irrespective of caste, gender, religion, region, ethnicity, etc."
Stating that the protests were "withdrawn or forcibly shut down following the Coronavirus pandemic", it noted, "The peoples’ demand for the withdrawal has remained as steadfast as ever", pointing out, "Citizens across caste, religion, creed and gender" have again come together at "more than 25 sites across the country to reiterate our plea for the repeal of CAA-NPR-NRC" with memorandums already submitted to many district and state level officials across the country "to this effect as well."

Text:

We, citizens from villages, towns and cities across the country write to you with regard to the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 and the NPR-NRC project linked to it.
We write to you to register our strong opposition to the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 and demand its repeal. This Act threatens the very foundation of our Constitution by redefining citizenship on the basis of religion. It violates Article 14 of our Constitution that accords that no person residing in India will be discriminated against on the basis of religion, caste, gender etc.

Nationwide implementation of a project like NRC that would demand its citizens to submit elaborate documentation that a large majority of the working poor population of the country do not possess, would only be an instrument of harassment and exclusion for stripping citizens from citizenship rights. It is clear to us that the combination of CAA-NPR-NRC is being used to target religious minorities in our country and to further communalise and polarise our society on religious lines.

All through the months after the passing of the CAA in Dec '19 until the national lockdown imposed due to Covid-19 on 24th March 2020, citizens organised peaceful demonstrations and sit-in protests across the country to register their democratic dissent against this law. However, our demands still remain unaddressed.

Instead, many who exercised their right to democratic dissent have been framed in fabricated cases and even anti-terror laws. Most still continue to languish behind bars facing a harsh pre-trial incarceration. In a dubious and false narrative, peaceful protestors who raised their voices against this law, particularly from the Muslim community, have been labeled and targetted by the police as 'rioters', 'conspirators' and 'terrorists'.

It is the responsibility of a democratic government to listen to its citizens and engage with voices of dissent. What we have instead encountered with regard to the movement demanding the repeal of CAA is state repression and violence from the ruling government. We once again come together to put forward the following demands to you:

The repeal of CAA-NPR-NRC and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).
Enquiry by a sitting Supreme Court judge into the Delhi violence ‘20.
The immediate and unconditional release of all anti-CAA-NPR-NRC protestors and withdrawal of all false cases against them
Justice and rehabilitation for all victims of the Delhi riots ‘20
Action against the BJP politicians and RSS workers responsible for hate crimes.

---

Click here for prominent signatories

Comments

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani* India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor* Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas* November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor* Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor* Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.

Search This Blog