Citizens of Delhi, West Bengal, Assam and Meghalaya, on the 14th of December, intensified their protests against the newly implemented Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019.
After being approved by Ram Nath Kovind, the President of India, Citizenship (Amendment) Act, allows citizenship to refugees who Sikhs, Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, Christians and Parsis from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and are living in India since or before the 31st of December 2014.
On the 13th of December, Amit Shah, the Home Minister of India, was scheduled to visit northeastern states, but seeing the current situation, Mr. Shah and Union Home Ministry officials had to cancel the visit.
While Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal witnessed violent protests outside officials’ residences, police stations, post offices and banks, Delhi’s public held protests at Jantar Mantar.
In Assam, people are on the roads, raising their voices against the Act which is said to be a danger to their customs, traditions and culture.
Many banks, public offices and buses were set ablaze and totally damaged, killing approximately 3 people so on the 13th of December.
Eight columns of the Army and Assam Rifles were deployed in Assam to control the situation. In Meghalaya, the Confederation of Meghalaya Social Organisations (COMSO,) an umbrella organisation of student bodies, is also going to conduct a mega rally against the Act.
Meanwhile, in Kerala, all the political parties which are against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 are scheduled to go on a hunger strike on the 16th of December.
The strike would begin at 10:00 A.M., on the 16th of December, at Martyr’s Column in Palayam in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. In other regions of India, the opposition party, the Indian National Congress (INC,) is also expected to conduct several rallies against the Act. While the northeastern states are concerned about their identity and culture, people across India are protesting the law because it believed to discriminate based on religion as it excludes Muslims.
With the help of protests across India, the citizens of the Country are trying to build pressure on the Government of India, so the Act is withdrawn. The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 would provide citizenship to approximately 130 crore refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Stay tuned for further updates.
