Around 400 women on Tuesday participated in a rally against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register in Andheri.
The rally, which began at the Shia Imami Ismaili Jamatkhana and ended at station, was organised by the Disha Foundation, Mumbai Mahila Congress and the Mumbai Youth Congress. After walking to the station, the protesters displayed placards reading, ‘Democracy is on ventilator’ and ‘ Hai jaan se pyaari Azadi ( Freedom is dearer than our lives)’ and raised slogans like, ‘ Jamia teri kurbani ko salaam ( Jamia, we salute your sacrifice)’.
Congress corporator Meher Haider said women could sacrifice anything when the nation needs them.
“Although we are used to staying inside the house under purdah , we will come out on the streets every time the need arises. The government thinks we are begging for freedom but they have forgotten that every community has played an equal role in the country’s freedom struggle,” she said.
She said another protest will be held at the Indira Gandhi ground at Gilbert Hill if the Supreme Court’s decision regarding the laws, which is expected on Wednesday, is not in favour of Indians. “If the court does not see anything unconstitutional in the laws and does not act in the favour of Indians, women are ready to transform the Indira Gandhi ground into Shaheen Bagh (in Delhi, where women have led a sit-in protest),” she said.
Madhvi Rane, Mahila Congress president (north-west district) hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Bharatiya Janata Party, saying the party is dividing the country by spreading communalism. “The only thing our Prime Minister has done after coming to power is to try and increase disputes between Hindus and Muslims. The Shaheen Bagh protest is an inspiration to the women of the country. As women raise their voices, the government will have to admit that we were born here and hence are Indians,” Ms. Rane said.
Taqdis Raiba, a protester, said, “The government should know that the women who are leaving their families to protest can do anything for the nation. Here, the concern is for our coming generation, for which we are ready to flood the streets whenever the need arises.”
Simran Makrani, a student of Jamia Milia Islamia who was at the protest, said, “The government is playing dirty politics by attacking the youth and the students, but we will keep coming out in greater numbers against laws that are not in line with the Constitution,” she said.
Fighting for their rights: (Left) Residents of Kurla take to the streets to oppose the CAA and NRC; women gather at a rally against the Act in Andheri on Tuesday. Vijay Bate
Meanwhile, another protest was held in Kurla where residents rallied to the streets to reject the new Act.
Published - January 22, 2020 01:34 am IST
