Anti-CAA protests: Students, organisers call out state's doublespeak

Students and organisers hit out at the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP combine for speaking out publicly against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, but denying permissions for protests using the city police machinery

Friday saw the first of several demonstrations planned by anti-CAA fronts in the new year, but again without police permission. Mumbai police served protesters notice and denied them permission for the protest. Demonstrators have called out the state government's doublespeak for opposing the CAA and NRC in public but denying police permissions for protests.

Around 300 people — with a majority of them being from the LGBTQ community — ended up demonstrating at a pavement at Shivaji Park, instead of Chaityabhoomi as per the original plan. The recently formed anti-CAA (Citizenship (Amendment) Act) platform, Hum Bharat Ke Log, had planned the January 3 protest on the occasion of Savitribai Phule's birth anniversary. A notice under Section 149 (Police to prevent cognisable offences) of the Code Of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), which read, "onerous conditions including that the applicant will be liable for any anti-national, communal or unlawful content" in response to the application for police permission was served to the organisers.

Protesters raise slogans at Shivaji Park on Friday evening

"The police have been systematically denying permission for rightful, democratic, peaceful protests planned by citizen groups. This is a direct attempt at suppressing voices. The police issuing a notice under Section 149 while rejecting the application, is nothing short of reprisal for even attempting to hold the protest, and an attempt to create an atmosphere of fear and intimidation to suppress dissent," the organisers said in a statement.

Mayank Saxena, one of the organisers and a member of Hum Bharat Ke Log, said, "A notice under Section 149 basically means that if you organise an event and something untoward happens during it, police won't be responsible for that. If that was the case, why did they deny permission in the first place?" The 300-strong crowd, armed with banners and placards, sat under the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, raised slogans and sang songs to "remember Savitribai and Fatima Shaikh...and to plan the next steps."

Speaking at the Maharashtra government's stance, Saxena said, "Is the Sena-NCP-Congress-led government against or with CAA? Why have cops of this state denied us permission to protest twice within three days? On December 31, it was understandable that there could have been a potential law and order situation, but why deny permission today? Basically, cops are not detaining us but also not allowing us to protest either." He added: "We'll break the unjust CAA peacefully through civil disobedience."

Transgenders unite
Doel Rakshit, a 27-year-old who identifies as a transgender and was a part of Friday's gathering, said, "When the NRC (National Register of Citizens) was done in Assam, there were around 2,000 transgenders left out. One needs to understand that most transgenders will not be able to show their papers because they are poor and moreover, they have been beaten and persecuted by their immediate and extended families. They have escaped their homes and live on the margins of society... how can they show their papers? Many of us are not economically stable."

Doel Rakshit, who identifies as a transgender, at the protest

Speaking on the Maha Vikas Aghadi's (MVA) stance, Doel said, "It is definitely ironic that they have come out publicly against CAA but the police are still denying permission for protests. But what the MVA and cops don't understand is that there are sporadic and spontaneous anti-CAA protests taking place across the country... people have been mobilised. I finish work early now so I can protest. Police should support us since the government in power has already taken a stand on the CAA and NRC."

"To protest is our constitutional right, why are we being denied of that?" said a 23-year-old female protester who did not wish to be named. "Today's protest was supposed to bring together the LGBTQ community and enable them to lead at the front since they too will be affected by the CAA, NRC and NPR (National Population Register)."

There was a spat between a few protesters who were on the sidelines and three senior citizens when the latter said that their reasons for protesting were not justified. When this reporter asked one of the three people as to what kind of documents would have to be shown to prove citizenship, he said, "Cchool or birth certificate."

In addition, when the protest started at 6 pm, there were not policemen present near Shivaji Park till 7.15 pm. When they finally showed up, they did not interfere with the proceedings until a spat between anti- and pro-CAA factions broke out at around 8.15 pm.

Five people gathered on the footpath a little away from the protesters started raising pro-CAA slogans, including 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. In reply to this, anti-CAA protesters raised the slogan, 'We support NRC', to which the quintet replied, 'Good for you! Good for you!'. At this moment, police intervened and dispersed both groups.

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