Kerala: Protests Erupt Against Notification of CAA, DYFI Files Appeal in SC

The notification of rules to implement the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019 has sparked off another round of protests in Kerala. The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) held night marches as soon as the notification was issued and has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the CAA. The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which has a strong presence in the state, has also filed a petition in the SC. 

The Kerala Karshaka Sangham, the state unit of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) has announced protests in all 140 Assembly constituencies on March 14. 

The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the Opposition block, the United Democratic Front (UDF), have continuously opposed the provisions of the CAA, which provides citizenship purely based on the religion of the applicant. 

The LDF also continues to hold rallies across the state against  CAA. Chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan once again reiterated that the LDF government would not be implementing CAA. 

K K Shailaja, central committee member of the CPI(M) and the LDF candidate from Vadakara lok sabha constituency led a protest against the notification of CAA.

As soon as the notification  was issued by the Union government, the DYFI hit the streets across the state with night marches. The marches were held on block and district levels with the DYFI members burning copies of  CAA as a mark of protest.

Addressing a protest in Kannur district, DYFI leader V K Sanoj accused the Union government of resorting to divisive policies for political gains. 

“The notification has come barely a few weeks before the 18th lok sabha elections are due. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led government wants to divert the people and wants to divide the people based on religion. The Constitution after prolonged discussions never set region as the precondition for getting citizenship in our country. But the BJP had restored to the disastrous move”, he said.

The Citizenship Amendment Bill was first introduced in the Rajya Sabha in 2016 and was reintroduced in January 8, 2019 despite severe opposition from political parties, democratic movements and civil society organisations. The Bill was eventually passed in the Upper House on December 11, 2019 and in the Lok Sabha a day earlier. The Bbill became an act after the President's office provided assent. 

The clause provides citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. 

“The applicant has to belong to six religious groups from three countries, which has been made the only qualification for getting citizenship in India. In a secular country, with diverse cultural, religious and linguistic backgrounds, this policy cannot be accepted. The threat of existing citizens losing their citizenship if the National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) is very high and proving their citizenship becomes an impossible task”, Sanoj said. 

V K Sanoj, secretary of the DYFI kerala state committee led a protest in Kannur

Chief Minister Vijayan once again cleared the stand of the government by stating that such a provision would be opposed and not be implemented in the state. 

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] state committee also accused the BJP led union government of issuing the notification of rules  to divert the attention of the people as the Supreme Court rejected the plea of the State Bank of India seeking more time to submit the list of donors of the Electoral Bonds to the Election Commission of India.