Caravan News
NEW DELHI — Legendary Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah and Carnatic musician T M Krishna have chosen their own way of protest and lending their support to the mass protests against the controversial and discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) passed by Indian parliament earlier this month.
The video released by Karwan-e-Mohabbat, a civil society initiative against hate and communalism, on YouTube and other social media platforms on Monday has amassed sizeable viewership besides being talked about on internet and mainstream media.
In the video backed by visuals from the protests against CAA-NRC, Shah is reading out the preamble of the constitution while Krishnan is singing the national anthem of India.
“In the continuing protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the upcoming NPR-NRC, it is once again the time to look back at the diversity of our country, its geography and its people, and our constitutional virtues,” description under the video reads,
Several prominent Bollywood personalities have come forward and voiced their dissent against the controversial Act. In fact Swara Bhasker and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub are at the forefront in this fight of public against the Citizenship act. It has been now over three weeks since protests began erupting in the cities and towns across the country.
The rallies are marked by protestors carrying Indian Flag, photos of India’s founding fathers and reading of preamble of the constitution.
The Act, drawn on religious lines, allowed migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan living in India to settle in India. But it excludes Muslim migrants despite India’s Constitution extolling secularism and equality in clear terms. Moreover, the situation becomes deadlier if Indian government carries out the test of citizenship (NRC), according to which those who fail to produce the documentary proof will be declared illegal. But everyone, other than Muslims have the chance to get protection by the new Act. There are apprehensions that Muslims excluded from NRC will be sent to detention centers.
In several places the protestors were stopped with strong force by state resulting in killing of nearly 30 people, including over 20 in Uttar Pradesh state only. First mass protests were witnessed in Assam in North East where people apprehend that the law can damage the vulnerable indigenous culture if migrants are allowed to settle in the restive region
