the goan I network
MARGAO
Thousands of hands went up at the historic Lohia Maidan here on Friday evening as the anti-CAA rally called by the Church organ, Council for Social Justice and Peace rejected in one voice the CAA/NRC/NPR and demanded that the Goa state Assembly approves a resolution demanding that the central government immediately and unconditionally revoke the CAA and all activities related to the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The people vowed to stand against the CAA-NPR-NRC and to refuse to provide their details for the NPR.
While further demanding that the sacred, secular, pluralistic and democratic framework of the Indian Constitution is protected and promote, the rally further demanded that the people of Goa of different faiths and cultural traditions will continue relentlessly to work until the above demands are met.
The huge congregation of anti-CAA supporters took a pledge that they will stand by the Constitutional guarantee
of equality, of democracy, of freedom of speech and of pluralism and defend these Constitutional promises against assaults by any person, party or government.
Saying that the CAA and the government’s intention to implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) have been literally shaking the foundations of India’s existence as a pluralistic, multi-faith society, where all citizens are supposed to be equal before the law, the rally unequivocally said the amended Citizenship law would undermine the commitment to equality before the law enshrined in India’s Constitution. A resolution adopted at the rally said the CAA would obstruct India’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, to which India is a state party, which prohibit discrimination based on racial, ethnic or religious grounds.
City-based cardiologist Dr Francisco Colaco set the tone for the massive rally called by CSJP with the National Confederation of Human Rights Organization and concerned citizens of Goa, as he read the Preamble to the Constitution of India amidst thunderous applause from the thousands of people gathered at the historic Lohia Maidan.
Before Dr Oscar Rebello could raise the pitch, CSJP Executive Secretary Fr Savio Fernandes commended the people for making it for the meeting without any fear. Saying this is the first time that citizens have come out to protect their citizenship, Fr Savio said the agitation against CAA, NPR, NRC will continue till it is withdrawn.
In his spirited address, Dr Oscar point blank told the BJP that the people of India will not follow the party on its Hindu Rashtra agenda. He said he has no problem if the government wants to give citizenship to the refugees, but hastened to add that citizenship should also be given to the persecuted Muslims.
He cautioned that the real danger for them lies in the NPR, saying failure to submit certain documents can render them as “doubtful citizens”. He further said the NPR can be a tool for the corrupt bureaucrats to extort money from the poor and hapless citizens who cannot produce citizens.
He also suggested to the religious heads of all major religions to impart 10-minute education on the Indian Constitution in their religious class to make them better citizens of tomorrow.
Rama Kankonkar accepted the offer of the Chief Minister Pramod Sawant for a debate on the CAA issue. He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister, Amit Shah for uniting the people of India against the CAA.
Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo called upon the people to maintain the momentum and force the Modi government to withdraw the CAA. He said the additional eight parameters added in the NPR, including production of birth documents of parents, will cost the citizens dearly.
Academician and columnist Prabhakar Timble said that refugees, irrespective of their religion should get citizenship, while saying people across the country are demanding Azadi from CAA, NPR and NRC.
In her address, Dev Surabi Yadhuvanshi told the gathering that the game plan behind the CAA, NPR and NRC is to disfranchise thousands of Muslims, who are not part of the BJP vote bank.
Popular Front of India leader Muzzafar Sheikh urged the people to continue the agitation till the Supreme Court hears the anti-CAA petitions in a month’s time. “We should have faith in the Judiciary as we are confident that the Supreme Court will give the people the justice”, he said.
“If Home Minster Amit Shah has ruled out withdrawal of the CAA, we want to make clear that will not back out of the agitation. We should all vow that we will never go to the detention camps and will not produce any documents”, Sheikh said, while asserting that the people will not rest till CAA is scrapped.
An anti-CAA rally has been planned at the Fatorda stadium on January 30.
