During the mega protest organised in Bhopal against the NRC, CAA and NPR at historical Iqbal Maidan, a number of personalities raised their voices against contentious citizenship legislations on Thursday.
Around 30 personalities addressed a huge gathering on the occasion. They included Narmada Bachao Andolan founder Medha Patkar, senior journalist Arfa Khanum, JNU Students’ Union president, Aishe Ghosh, Jamia students –Zaqir Riyaz and Chanda.
Addressing the protest attended by a few thousand locals from Old city Bhopal, JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh said, “I would take with me the spark ignited by the Bhopal people to JNU. We are prepared to hold a long march to make the rulers of this country bow down, she added. She remembered late dalit student Rohith Vemula on his birthday saying if we don’t understand education now, we won’t be able to understand the history ever.”
She likened JNU spirit to that carried by the legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh claiming that the revolutionary had the courage to confront the British at the time when many used to sing their tunes.
Whenever there is any election around, they (BJP) raise JNU issues and brand them as their enemies, she added alleging the BJP Government introduced demonetisation to fight black money and eradicate Maoism but nothing happened. “We would study and fight as well.” JNU would continue to voice dissent against this draconian law and would force the government to bow down, affirmed Ghosh who was recently attacked by armed youths inside JNU campus.
Slamming the Jamia Nagar incident of New Delhi, senior journalist Arfa Khanum claimed the man (attacker) definitely falls into the definition of a terrorist. She posed a question whether we would be able to sustain the values and mindset of Mahtama Gandhi adding places like Bhopal are offering plenty of hope.
Jamila students Zaqir Riyaz and Chanda also addressed the protest flaying the shooting incident in New Delhi and vowing to take forward the views of Mahatma Gandhi.
Calling the Iqbal Maidan, the Shaheen Bagh of Bhopal, the member of protest co-ordination committee Vijay Kumar claimed that before asking us to furnish our documents, the Government should instead prove its legality as if the voter card is not sufficient to prove our citizen status so whether the Government chosen by these voter cards is a valid one.
