Dalits, OBCs join anti-CAA chorus
Since the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act several Dalit organisations have come out terming the Act as being discriminatory.
New Delhi: Not merely upper caste Hindus, dalits and OBCs have also been coming out on the streets to lend their voices in support of the students, protesting against the CAA and NRC. At Windsor Place, dalits were among others who joined the protest. Dalit leaders met the media at Indian Women Press Corps and blames the the government of being anti people. They said it was also targeting the dalit community. Activist Prashant said, “ Dalits are also against this act, it is shameful how through state machinery people are attacked by police People are being detained or arrested. This is a draconian act which breaches the constitution in every sense.”
Speaking about the situation in Uttar Pradesh where death toll has risen to almost 18, the dalit activist blamed the state chief minister Yogi Adityanath of letting organisations linked to BJP go free. He said, “ Yogi who is a representative of Hindutva, in two years in UP in every occasion they impose section 144 but the same doesn’t imply to organizations which is directly or indirectly related to BJP. But we are threatened to not organise any protest and we were even arrested for no or peaceful protest.”
Since the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act several dalit organisations have come out terming the Act as being discriminatory. In the protests happening in the national capital in the last few days, dalits have openly said that ‘repercussions will be felt by dalits too’. One of the dalit who was in the briefing said that most of the dalits are first generation people who have had a formal education hence it will be difficult for them to prove ancestry.
“It is not that we are not Indians but NRC along with CAA will see a massive witch-hunt against the poor especially dalits since they will usually have no documents to prove their ancestry. If documents like aadhar and voter card are not being considered as proof of citizenship then it will become very difficult.” In the last couple of days the protests against the CAA and NRC have only intensified.