CAA protests reflect pent-up angst of a community more than questions over its validity

In UP, the BJP government has been making protesters pay for damages to the public property. But the same BJP government in Assam has remained soft in dealing with the protesters.
Citizenship Amendment Act

TLI Opinion

It has emerged that government was advised that it should use the word “persecuted minorities” instead of naming the six religious communities while finalising the Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB). This means the attempt to name the religions was deliberate and aimed at further polarising the society.

The Modi government appears to have largely succeeded in executing its plan. In the most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, the state through which goes the path of leadership at Centre, the protests against the new citizenship law have been more on the religious grounds.

In most parts of the country, barring North-East, the protests have been muted. The North-East especially Assam and Tripura have witnessed violent protests ever since parliament passing the controversial bill and there are reasons for the same.

The region has seen a large number of illegal migrants from Bangladesh settling thus eating away the locals’ jobs. Their presence in large number threatens to change the local demographics and a huge burden on local resources.

Obviously, the locals would vehemently oppose this. They are against all illegal immigrants irrespective of their religion or faith. This is quite natural. Just imagine this situation. There is a population of 100 people living in a village which has an area of 4 square kilometre. Suddenly, government adds 100 more people who are culturally, linguistically and socially different as residents in this village. Won’t the 100 original residents oppose it?

Coming to the core issue, it may be safely concluded that religious divide has deepened following the enactment of citizenship law. Ever since the BJP government has come to power with Narendra Modi at the helm, there has been certain sense of unease among Muslims.

Given Modi’s image and perception about his personality in the aftermath of the unfortunate Godhra riots, this unease is quite natural.

Modi’s subsequent actions have only added to his divisive personality. He refused to wear skull cap and stayed away from the Iftar party. His party colleagues have defended it saying it is an individual’s choice and be respected by others.

But in the last almost six years, there have been dozens of cases of lynching in which people from Muslim community have been victims. As the Prime Minister of the country and hence guardian, Modi could have made strong statements against such crimes but he mostly chose to remain silent.

His party colleagues fuelled the fire instead of dousing it thus suggesting that all of them had Modi’s tacit support.

Over a period, this has made a large section of Muslim community glum and sad.

Following the passage of citizenship law which excluded Muslims (assuming that they cannot be persecuted in a Islamic country) for being eligible to get Indian citizenship, Muslims have found opportunity to vent out their suppressed feeling. They have got the support of people from all walks of life.

While continuing the agitation there have been damages to public properties across the country. In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP government led by Yogi Adityanath has been making protesters pay for damages they allegedly did to the public property. But the same BJP government in Assam has remained soft in dealing with the protesters. This sends very wrong message to a community and in fact serves as warning.

Perhaps India is the second or third country after Indonesia which has the largest population of Muslims. For them, it is their motherland and hence they should not be made to feel otherwise.

It does not need a PhD in Law to understand that the new Citizenship law does not affect Indian Muslims, nor any other countryman. It only concerns the illegal migrants who crossed the border facing religious persecution in three neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan or in search of better economic prospects. The only issue is how the government presented the whole bill and projected it and everyone knows why it was done so.

While each of the person has the responsibility to live in harmony, it is the government which is duty-bound to ensure general camaraderie.

The Modi government needs to introspect if it is doing its duty properly.