Kerala Plans for More Joint Protests Against CAA-NRC

A meeting of various political parties and socio-religious outfits, convened by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in Thiruvananthapuram, on December 29, decided to hold joint protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) 2019.

The over three-hour-long meeting, attended by MLAs, MPs, major front leaders and representatives of various outfits, entrusted the Chief Minister and the Opposition leader in the state Assembly, Ramesh Chennithala, to hold discussions and decide upon further course of action in this regard.

Ever since the BJP-led centre had tabled the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019, in Parliament, the people of Kerala, irrespective of their political and religious differences, have poured out on the streets to protest. Since December 12, after the bill became an Act with the President’s assent, the protests have only gained more momentum in the state. The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) have come together to register their voice against the Act along with the National Register for Citizen (NRC). 

Except the BJP-RSS along with Jamaat-e-Islami and its affiliated groups, almost all other political organisations have come together to defend secularism and to fight against the blatant attack on the Constitution that this Act represents. Despite being political rivals, the Communist party of India (Marxist)-led LDF and Congress-led UDF have come together setting apart their political differences.

Earlier on December 16, a joint protest gathering, held by the ruling front and Opposition against the Act had drawn national attention as the arch political rivals shed their ideological differences and joined hands for a common cause.

Also read: Political Rivals UDF, LDF Join Hands to Oppose CAA in Kerala

On Sunday, among the recommendations that emerged at the meeting were that the government should move the court and convene a special Assembly session. To which Vijayan replied, “This matter is under the government's consideration.”

He emphasised on the need to put a united fight at this juncture to protect the Constitution and secularism. “While taking out protests jointly, we will get strength more than we can imagine. The country itself will accept it as a model,” he said, adding that the action to divide the people on religious lines will not be accepted in Kerala.

The Chief Minister cautioned that many protests, including by communal and extremist elements, were being held in many places and it was necessary to keep them at bay. Stringent action would be taken against protests by such elements if they cross the limits, he said adding that the intervention of such forces was not good for society's healthy growth. The government would not intervene in the protests being held for just causes, he added. When religion becomes the basis of citizenship, the Constitution will be undermined and from secular nation, India will become a religious country, he added.

Two BJP leaders, who took part in the meeting, boycotted the session after the Chief Minister's speech, alleging that the meeting was “unconstitutional”. After the meeting, Chennithala told reporters that different kinds of joint protests would be held in the state against the CAA.

“Our major demand at the meeting was to convene a special Assembly session to express the state's concern over CAA. We also wanted to send an all-party delegation to meet the President and appraise the concerns,” he said.

The protests across the state are not confined to the joint protests of LDF and UDF. All political parties except BJP have continuously been conducting protest marches, mass gatherings etc. in different levels. People’s forums and other civil rights groups have also been holding protests across nooks and corners of the state.

One of such joint protest, recently held in Kondotty in Malappuram district, has become the centre of a number of social media debates. The news circulating in various platforms is that ‘the face of Jamia protests Aysha Renna was heckled for criticising Pinarayi Vijayan Government’. The decision to hold a mass protest on December 28 was taken in a joint meeting.

Also read: CAA-NRC: Thousands Protest in Mumbai's Azad Maidan

As per reports, the mass protest witnessed the participation of people cutting across all political and religious borders. There were no organisational flags and even the slogans to be raised decided prior. “Towards the end of the programme, after the MLA made an announcement regarding airport picketing to be held later that day, some of the protesters demanded to hand over the microphone to Renna as she wants to speak,” reads a Facebook post by Faizal Kondotty, one among the protesters.

Soon after Renna was given the mike, she started talking about Muslim-Bahujan politics and tried to equate the CPI(M)-led state government with the BJP-led Centre over the arrest of few youth, Faizal adds. Since the protest was organised for a common cause, Left supporters marked their dissent as she had diverted the issue. Even as she was asked to apologise for her remarks by the convenor of the programme, Shafi Muztafa, she clarified that her remarks were personal while being surrounded by Jamaat-i-Islami activists, Faizan further says. However, the debate has now turned away from the joint spirit of people against CAA and NRC.

(With inputs from PTI)

Also read: With Crackdown on Protests, BJP is Redefining Hinduism