Source – telegraphindia.com
Aprotest meeting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) drew around 1,000 people to Zilla School ground here on Monday where a decision was taken to launch a series of peaceful protests in the capital next month.
“We will organise peaceful protests beginning from January 2 in Ranchi next month. The first programme will be held near the Gandhi statue in Morabadi on January 2. We will observe it as Sankalp Divas,” activist Balram said on behalf of Sajha Manch, a united forum of social and political activists.
Another activist, Ashok Verma, said they would read aloud the Preamble to the Constitution and sit on a dharna there.
“We will organise similar programmes on January 8, 16, 23, 26 and 30,” said Ibrar Ahmad, the chief of the local Anjuman Islamia.
On the Republic Day, the protest meeting will be held at the gram sabha level where people will read out the Preamble and take a pledge to protect its spirit.
The Constitution gives guarantee of equality to all citizens, but the government’s move violates it, the activists said.
“There are many tribals and poor people in the state who can’t submit documents as proof of their being citizens of this country. The Mundas of Khunti don’t even have ownership documents as their land is a community property,” Balram said, explaining why they were opposing the NRC and NPR.
Nadim Khan, a Left leader who conducted the meeting, said they had initially planned a Samvidhan Bachao March (Save the Constitution rally), but the district administration didn’t give permission.
Congress leader Subodh Kant Sahay was also present at the the meeting that demanded the repeal of the CAA and withdrawal of the NRC and NPR proposals.
The participants also expressed solidarity with the students of 33 universities who are protesting against the CAA and the NCR and condemned Uttar Pradesh police’s high-handed attitude against the protesters.