INDIA Protest against CAA in India — From Nambiath Vasudevan, coordinator of the International Workers Committee against war and exploitation, for a workers International (IWC)

Modi government is hell bent in going ahead with the amended Indian Citizenship Act. Government is opposed to hold any dialogue with protesters. That means BJP wants to amend the constitutional guarantee that citizenship in India will not be decided based on religion.

In the circumstances arising in India Modi law can be reversed only by two ways. Either by the Supreme Court of India or by the power of people.

Opposition to CAA has become more wider. Till recently protest was mainly from students and civil society against CAA. Now opposition parties have intensified their demands asking Modi to scrap the law.

More than 150 petitions are pending before the Supreme Court of India against CAA.

Supreme Court heard the matter on January 22nd when it asked the Government to come with its say in four weeks.

Today (January 26) is the Republic Day in India. Brazilian President was the Chief guest. Inviting Bolsorano as the Chief Guest became another focus of protest against Modi.

States like Kerala, Punjab and Rajasthan have officially decided to defy federal law. West Bengal, Telengana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhatisgarh have spoken about their opposition to CAA. Maharashtra may follow.

Public resistance is on the rise everywhere as they fear CAA is the first step towards creating a state based on religion sacrificing secular aspect of the constitution. People are determined to oppose.

In Kerala today 7 million people read out the Preamble of the Indian constitution and took pledge to protect Indian constitution which adheres to secularism, socialism, justice, equality and fraternity for all citizens. 7 million people, men, women, children belonging to Hindus, Muslims, Chrìstians, all castes and communities came out and created a 650 km long human chain.

In Delhi city, at Shaheen Bagh, important part of a thoroughfare, women, mostly muslims, have occupied the place, day and night, for the last forty days. Today there was a huge convergence of people at Shaheen Bagh reading Preamble of the constitution.

In Delhi today we hold a meeting on contract workers, particularly Reliance electrcity workers, whose leading activists were arrested in January 2018. They were arrested alleging they had  contact with a person linked with banned Maoist party. Modi government has arrested several activists on such allegations. Meeting in Delhi on 27 and 28 has been organized by ILO along with some Indian organizations to study precarious working conditions of migrant workers in different parts of India ;

Nambiath Vasudevan,
coordinator of the International Workers Committee against war and exploitation, for a workers International (IWC).