Seelampur to Jamia, Defence Colony to Govindpuri: Anti-CAA protests rumble on across Delhi

At southeast Delhi’s Govindpuri, over 200 people gathered late afternoon to stand in solidarity with ongoing protests. The crowd largely included workers from the All India Traders Union, and circulated pamphlets explaining what the CAA means for citizens.

The protests against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) spilled out to many Delhi neighbourhoods with university students and residents coming out to gather in parks and streets against the amended law on Sunday.

Protesters at a sit-in against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) at Shaheen Bagh, in New Delhi, on Sunday, January 5, 2020. (Burhaan Kinu/HT PHOTO)

At southeast Delhi’s Govindpuri, over 200 people gathered late afternoon to stand in solidarity with ongoing protests. The crowd largely included workers from the All India Traders Union, and circulated pamphlets explaining what the CAA means for citizens.

Protesters sang the national anthem and read out the Preamble to the Constitution of India. “There are people from all strata of society including teachers, students and workers. A small group has been going across localities, urging people to come out and support the movement,” said Shakti, 30, who works with a trade union.

A banded perform songs of national unity and recited Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poem ‘Hum Dekhenge’.

“We plan to come back here. Workers have called a general strike against the economic slowdown, unemployment and demanding the rollback of the CAA,” he added.

“The students spoke well, explaining the meanings of CAA, NPR [National Population Register] and NRC [National Register of Citizens]. They just sat with posters and placards made by them and sang the national anthem. Some people from the RWA even snatched placards from the students and asked us to leave. But we continued with the protest,” said Bhavreen Kandhari, a resident of Defence Colony.

Meanwhile, in northeast Delhi’s Seelampur, inspired by the women at the forefront of the indefinite sit-in at Shaheen Bagh, a group of women sat on a dharna in solidarity.

“We stand in solidarity with protestors at Shaheen Bagh. We salute their courage and bravery, and the women of Seelampur have not only come out in the support of the protesters, but also demand a rollback of the CAA. We also reject the proposal for a nationwide NRC,” 27-year-old Alfiya Javed, one of the organisers of the sit-in, said.

The women, many accompanied by their young children, raised slogans against the CAA and NRC and of “Azaadi” (freedom).

Parween, a 36-year-old woman with disabilities, who had come to the sit-in with her 60-year-old mother said, “We elected this government. Why will we show our documents to them to prove our citizenship now? Hindustan is for everyone and we will not leave it”.

Fearing action from the police, the protest — that was to take place on the Welcome Eidgah road — was shifted to the Seelampur fruit market, organisers said.

At the same time, the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC), which comprises both students and teachers, continued their protest against the CAA, NRC and NPR for the 24th day in the university.

According to a statement by the committee, hundreds of students and people from neighbouring Okhla gathered at the protest venue and raised anti-CAA slogans. The protest saw participation of Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh, who called these laws “anti-muslim” and claimed the policies of the Central government were “divisive”.