How India is resisting CAB: A story in powerful pictures

One of the pictures that have come to define the protests is of three girls standing on a wall and addressing a sea of protesters at Jamia Millia Islamia.

news Protest

India is currently witnessing two kinds of protests against CAA or the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019. In the northeast states of India, the protest is against the Act's implementation in their areas, as many fear it will cause a rush of immigrants that may alter their demographic and linguistic uniqueness. In the rest of India, like in Kerala, West Bengal and New Delhi, people are protesting against the exclusion of Muslims, alleging it to be against the values of the Constitution.

The protests erupted across the country after the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by both houses of Parliament and received Presidential assent soon after. The Act, which gives citizenship to non-Muslim refugees who escaped religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan and entered the country before December 31, 2014, has been widely criticised. The amended Act has put the entire Northeast region and West Bengal on the boil as people fear that it might exacerbate the problem of illegal immigration.

Violent protests were seen in New Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia; parts of Assam are on lockdown; several peaceful demonstrations against the Act were held in various parts of the country; and more have been planned in the coming days across the country.

While registering their protests, the protesters have been shouting slogans, singing songs and reading the Constitution as well.

One of the pictures that have come to define the protests is of three girls standing on a wall and addressing a sea of protesters at Jamia Millia Islamia. But there are several other powerful pictures of the protests across the country that underscore why people from all sections of society consider the Act unconstitutional.



Protest at Jamia Millia Islamia



Protest in Bengaluru



Protests in Delhi



Protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. Banner reads 'Save Our Constitution'



At a protest in Delhi



At Jamia Millia Islamia



Protest at Marine Drive, Mumbai



Protest at Shillong

Video from Hyderabad #CABProtests .



From Kids to Youth to women, everyone is speaking against Anti-Muslim #CABBill2019 ..



This fight should not stop now.



Mere seene me nahi toh tere seene me sahi,

Ho kahin bhi aag, lekin aag jalni chahiye.#CitizenshipAmendmentAct pic.twitter.com/aueU3IpWCu — Md Asif Khan‏‎‎‎‎‎‎ آصِف (@imMAK02) December 15, 2019

People united demanding scraping of CAA in Kozhikode, Kerala. India belongs to all. Resist CAA. #CABProtests pic.twitter.com/VLNjCkFNFS — Open Press (@OpenPressTV) December 15, 2019

Listen carefully to the lyrics. We are here because love brings us together - solidarity for each other, loyalty to the ideas enshrined in the #Constitution #CABProtest

pic.twitter.com/og0LmMb73c — Natasha Badhwar (@natashabadhwar) December 14, 2019

About last night, women of Jamia Millia Islamia lead the way in opposing the bigoted Citizenship Amendment Act and calls for all India NRC. #CABEkDhokaHai pic.twitter.com/xrSxNQF5sm — Umar Khalid (@UmarKhalidJNU) December 13, 2019

Police used tear gas and baton to quell protests by hundreds of students here in New Delhi today against a new law that’s been criticised as anti-Muslim. https://t.co/h7RAI5UcLF



Photos by @adnanabidi pic.twitter.com/T6hixW5x4s — Zeba Siddiqui (@zebatweets) December 13, 2019

Anti CAB act protests today in Bangalore by people of Assam and Tripura pic.twitter.com/XurDEYCdRh — AssamAssocBlore (@theaabway) December 14, 2019

My AMU has history of taking stand on issues of national importance.



Proud of AMU.pic.twitter.com/vq56FN4PSP December 13, 2019

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act does not apply to tribal areas of Tripura, Mizoram, Assam and Meghalaya as they are included in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. Also, areas that fall under the Inner Limit (protected areas/states near the Indian border), notified under the Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, 1873, will also be outside the Act's purview. This keeps almost large Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland out of the ambit of the Act.

People across the country apprehend that the move could be a precursor to the country-wide implementation of the National Register of Citizens. The NRC requires one not only to prove their citizenship but also their relationship to their ancestors. Following the NRC updating exercise, 19 lakh people in Assam were excluded in the final list.

With inputs from IANS. Images from PTI.