Anti-CAA protests in DU gain momentum

Conversations around the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, are now gaining ground in Delhi University with students from across ideological backgrounds asserting

Conversations around the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA, are now gaining ground in Delhi University with students from across ideological backgrounds asserting their opinions on the new citizenship law in novel ways.

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Throughout the week, students from different Delhi University colleges — Kamala Nehru College (KNC), Ramjas College, Hansraj College, Jesus and Mary College, Dyal Singh College, and Aurobindo College — read the Preamble of the Constitution in their college premises and sang the national anthem. Several colleges have also issued notices asking students to take permission before gathering to avoid a “law and order situation.”

Sanjana Sachdeva, an undergraduate student at KNC, said reading the Preamble serves as a reminder that the youth needed to uphold constitutional values “before it is too late.” She also said, “With the NSA order in the picture, we are now scared to organise more events. Why would the government impose it in a state where student protests are happening?”

She was referring to an order from Lieutenant Governor, Anil Baijal conferring powers on the Delhi Police commissioner to be the “detaining authority” under the National Security Act (NSA) for three months, beginning January 19. The police however, had claimed that the order was a routine one.

Explaining the increase in the number of protests, Sanam Khanna, who teaches English at KNC, said students have become more aware. “Due to the ongoing discussions, the students are now realising that it is affecting everyone. Students are reading the initial documents in the public domain and are understanding that everything is linked. The current protests are coming from insecurity and trust deficit in the government on the matter,” she said.

“We are now planning a discussion on the CAA where legal experts can help us understand the law better,” said Umara Zainab, an undergraduate student of St Stephen’s College, which saw a historic turnout on January 8 after students boycotted their classes to hold demonstrations.

The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP)-led Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) is, however, in support of the CAA. On Thursday, they put up hoardings with messages such as “Left-Attack in JNU” and “Stop burning the country in the name of CAA” at several spots in North Campus.