Shades of Shaheen Bagh in city: Children join anti-CAA stir at Park Circus

Kolkata: Schoolchildren joined the ongoing anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) stir in Kolkata's Park Circus Maidan on Sunday.

"Our CAA protest entered the 13th day on January 19. Schoolchildren have joined us today. There was a sit and draw and poster-making competition for school children at the protest venue. They were asked to draw on the future of India in reference to CAA," said Asmat Jamil, organiser of Swadhinata Andolan at Park Circus Maidan.

While the controversial CAA was passed by both Houses of Parliament in December 2019, it seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there.

Asmat reiterated that the 24-hour vigil against the Centre's "discriminatory" policies (CAA, National Register of Citizens and National Population Register) started two days after the JNU violence.

Referring to the Supreme Court fixing a bunch of 59 petitions on CAA, including those filed by the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, for hearing on January 22, she said: "We have faith on the Supreme Court. It will do justice to us. We started our protest with 60 Muslim as well as Hindu women. It is in solidarity with the women of Delhi's Shaheen Bagh, where a similar women-led 24-hour sit-in is currently on."

"We have united here for our fight against the CAA. The future of India will not depend on irrational policies of RSS or BJP at the centre. They did not participate in the freedom struggle. They did not fight for the independence of India," said Banrnali Mukherjee, a protestor at the Park Circus Maidan.

It might be mentioned that the round-the-clock Park Circus Maidan protest has gained momentum. Women from different parts of the city are joining the protest throughout day and night. They are jostling for sloganeering space.

"On one hand Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Beti Padhoa Beti Bachao programme to protect women. On the other hand, he is implementing CAA due to which the women are on the streets and continuing their protest. He cannot divide India on the basis of religion," said Mariam Khatoon, resident of Samsul Huda road and protestor of CAA. "We have put up mehndi on our hands, with No NCR, No NPR and No CAA written on it," said Rehana Hossain, a school teacher.