Skip to main content

Poser to Gujarat CM: Why permit pro-CAA rally when anti-CAA rallies not allowed?

A poster at Sabarmati Ashram for rally in support of CAA
Taking strong objection to the Government of Gujarat permitting an organization called Citizens’ Committee to hold a rally in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), an Ahmedabad-based civil rights activist in a letter to chief minister Vijay Rupani has wondered why rallies to protest against CAA, which allegedly violates Articles 5, 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India, are not being allowed.
Written by Mujahid Nafees of the Minority Coordination Committee (MCC), a citizens’ initiative to protect minority rights, the letter, a copy of which has been forwarded to chief secretary Anil Mukim, says that “the religion-based citizenship law” has been approved by “ignoring the Constitution.”
Insisting that the “Constitution is the result of the long struggle against the British”, the letter says, “The rallies against CAA were planned to honour the freedom movement martyrs” who had fought for India’s freedom, and also to “safeguard the fundamental element of the constitution”.
It adds, “Off-the-record even officials say they have been told from the very top not to allow protests against CAA, hence they had no other option but to disallow such protests.”
The letter wonders, as to why a rally in support of CAA by an organization called Citizens' Committee has been approved”, despite the fact that “Article 14 of our Constitution clearly upholds equality before the law and equal protection by law.”
Poster for rally in support of CAA, chairs put up for the rally
Nafees quotes the Constitution’s Article 14, which says, "Equality before law: The State shall not deny any person before equality before the law or equal protection under the laws of India's Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth."
Objecting to allowing one set of people for take out a rally, while not allowing others, the letter asks Rupani to intervene in the matter and treat both the sets of people equally. “I am confident that you will rise above partisan politics in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution”, it adds.
Meanwhile, releasing photographs of the huge banners on the the main gate of Sabarmati Ashram, Ahmedabad, Mudita Vidrohi, a young Gandhian activist, says, "Huge posters along the wall of Ashram can be seen supporting CAA. Loudspeakers are there, chairs are there." 
She sarcastically adds, "First of all congratulations to the Ashram Trust for standing true to Gandhi's spirit, Gandhi must be smiling from wherever he may be. Please someone show me one example in the country where rally was given the permission to oppose CAA in this manner."

Comments

TRENDING

Dalit rights and political tensions: Why is Mevani at odds with Congress leadership?

While I have known Jignesh Mevani, one of the dozen-odd Congress MLAs from Gujarat, ever since my Gandhinagar days—when he was a young activist aligned with well-known human rights lawyer Mukul Sinha’s organisation, Jan Sangharsh Manch—he became famous following the July 2016 Una Dalit atrocity, in which seven members of a family were brutally assaulted by self-proclaimed cow vigilantes while skinning a dead cow, a traditional occupation among Dalits.  

Powering pollution, heating homes: Why are Delhi residents opposing incineration-based waste management

While going through the 50-odd-page report Burning Waste, Warming Cities? Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Incineration and Urban Heat in Delhi , authored by Chythenyen Devika Kulasekaran of the well-known advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability, I came across a reference to Sukhdev Vihar — a place where I lived for almost a decade before moving to Moscow in 1986 as the foreign correspondent of the daily Patriot and weekly Link .

Boeing 787 under scrutiny again after Ahmedabad crash: Whistleblower warnings resurface

A heart-wrenching tragedy has taken place in Ahmedabad. As widely reported, a Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed shortly after taking off from the city’s airport, currently operated by India’s top tycoon, Gautam Adani. The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew members.  As expected, the crash has led to an outpouring of grief across the country. At the same time, there have been demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, and the Civil Aviation Minister.

Ahmedabad's civic chaos: Drainage woes, waterlogging, and the illusion of Olympic dreams

In response to my blog on overflowing gutter lines at several spots in Ahmedabad's Vejalpur, a heavily populated area, a close acquaintance informed me that it's not just the middle-class housing societies that are affected by the nuisance. Preeti Das, who lives in a posh locality in what is fashionably called the SoBo area, tells me, "Things are worse in our society, Applewood."

Global NGO slams India for media clampdown during conflict, downplays Pakistan

A global civil rights group, Civicus has taken strong exception to how critical commentaries during the “recent conflict” with Pakistan were censored in India, with journalists getting “targeted”. I have no quarrel with the Civicus view, as the facts mentioned in it are all true.

Remembering Vijay Rupani: A quiet BJP leader who listened beyond party lines

Late evening on June 12, a senior sociologist of Indian origin, who lives in Vienna, asked me a pointed question: Of the 241 persons who died as a result of the devastating plane crash in Ahmedabad the other day, did I know anyone? I had no hesitation in telling her: former Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani, whom I described to her as "one of the more sensible persons in the BJP leadership."

Whither SCOPE? Twelve years on, Gujarat’s official English remains frozen in time

While writing my previous blog on how and why Narendra Modi went out of his way to promote English when he was Gujarat chief minister — despite opposition from people in the Sangh Parivar — I came across an interesting write-up by Aakar Patel, a well-known name among journalists and civil society circles.

A conman, a demolition man: How 'prominent' scribes are defending Pritish Nandy

How to defend Pritish Nandy? That’s the big question some of his so-called fans seem to ponder, especially amidst sharp criticism of his alleged insensitivity during his journalistic career. One such incident involved the theft and publication of the birth certificate of Masaba Gupta, daughter of actor Neena Gupta, in the Illustrated Weekly of India, which Nandy was editing at the time. He reportedly did this to uncover the identity of Masaba’s father.

Why India’s renewable energy sector struggles under 2,735 compliance hurdles

Recently, during a conversation with an industry representative, I was told how easy it is to set up a startup in Singapore compared to India. This gentleman, who had recently visited Singapore, explained that one of the key reasons Indians living in the Southeast Asian nation prefer establishing startups there is because the government is “extremely supportive” when it comes to obtaining clearances. “They don’t want to shift operations to India due to the large number of bureaucratic hurdles,” he remarked.