The intervention on the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) filed in Supreme Court by a United Nations official reflects the international community’s concern about the act “that violates human rights”, retired Supreme Court judge Asok Kumar Ganguly told a citizens’ rally in the city on Thursday.
“It has never happened in the history of India that an international agency has filed a case in the Supreme Court against an act (Citizenship Amendment Act) passed by Parliament. It is up to the Supreme Court to decide whether they will accept the case. But this goes to show how the international community is expressing its concerns about an act that violates human rights,” Ganguly said, standing at the foot of Mahatma Gandhi’s statue on Mayo Road.
The rally, held to condemn the “goli maaro... (shoot them)” slogans raised by alleged supporters of Union minister Amit Shah in the heart of the city on Sunday, also marked the launch of a counter slogan of “Gale laga lo sabko (embrace everyone)” to spread peace.
Hundreds of protesters carrying a 100-feet-long Tricolour marched from Haji Mohammad Mohsin Square and wound their way through Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road, SN Banerjee Road to Mayo Road.
Justice Ganguly, 72, told The Telegraph that, irrespective of whether the Supreme Court hears the case or not, it is a matter of “disgrace” for India that a UN agency had to file a case against the act.
The rally stood out because of the overwhelming presence of women from Howrah, Garden Reach, Behala and other areas.
Rokeya Sheikh from Sankrail in Howrah strapped her three-year-old daughter on the back and walked in the rally. “I want my country to be a safer place for my child. If we don’t struggle, she will never feel safe,” Rokeya said.
Shamida Khatun, for whom walking for long is a painful ordeal because of a limp in the right leg, was undeterred. “I have taken to the streets because we cannot let the Centre reduce us to being second-class citizens,” said Shamida, a poster against the amended citizenship act hanging around her neck.
Gufran Khan and Ahmed Khan, tailors from Garden Reach, walked with a poster that read: “Amit, the Waste of India”. “We caricatured the ad punchline to express our feelings,” said Ahmed Khan.
