The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2019 (CAB) (ref.: < http://164.100.47.4/BillsTexts/LSBillTexts/Asintroduced/370_2019_LS_Eng.pdf>) has now become the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), having been notified in the Gazette (ref.: < http://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2019/214646.pdf>), at midnight (Dec. 12/13), following the grant of assent by the President on December 12, in turn preceded by its passage in the Lok Sabha on Dec. 9 and then the Rajya Sabha on Dec. 11th (ref.: < https://barandbench.com/citizenship-amendment-act-notified-at-midnight-receives-presidents-assent/?fbclid=IwAR1_yD2FDiXLcnn0lQWxsrcsSb1Ybz-srIyooFjVwlAzQxtCFutWtKjeD_Y >).
The unusual hurry was, presumably, meant to preempt any stay order, howsoever unlikely given the recent track record, by the highest court of the land following filing of a plea, on Dec. 12, seeking quashing of the Bill, passed by both the houses of the parliament, by the IUML (ref.: < https://www.siasat.com/cab-faces-legal-hurdle-iuml-files-plea-sc-cong-may-follow-1759714/ >). Despite the huge asymmetry in terms of number, the Bill had been bitterly fought back both in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha (ref.: < https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/lok-sabha-passes-citizenship-amendment-bill/article30260415.ece> and < https://www.news18.com/news/politics/rajya-sabha-tv-briefly-stops-telecast-of-cab-discussion-after-opposition-members-heckle-amit-shah-2420183.html >). The parliamentary endorsement of the Bill immediately sparked off street protests, nationwide. (Ref.: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geJ5PYaXy2w>, < https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/anti-cab-protest-congress-narendra-modi-chandigarh-1627446-2019-12-11>, < https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/bjp-congress-workers-clash-presi-students-march-to-bjp-state-hq-gift-constitution/articleshow/72497610.cms >.) Most violent and massive protests were, however, triggered off in the Northeast - Assam and Tripura, in particular (ref.: < https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/troops-move-to-northeast-from-kashmir-after-massive-protest-over-citizenship-bill-2148010>, < https://indianexpress.com/article/india/citizenship-amendment-bill-protests-live-updates-assam-curfew-meghalaya-tripura-mizoram-internet-suspended-death-toll-6164667/ >,< https://www.newsnation.in/india/news/violent-anti-cab-clashes-in-assam-force-modi-govt-to-shift-india-japan-summit-from-guwahati-to-delhi-sources-247231.html>, < https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/internet-services-suspended-for-48-hours-in-tripura-over-anti-cab-protests/articleshow/72461337.cms >). By now, three states - Punjab, Kerala and West Bengal, have asserted that they would not take part in the implementation of the Bill/Act (ref.: < https://www.news18.com/news/politics/task-of-saving-india-on-you-prashant-kishor-urges-16-non-bjp-cms-to-take-stand-against-citizenship-bill-2422721.html?fbclid=IwAR3wDa_v5SAkpUAoyiqxJMP-N6C-JVuKxxDPK20D6z4YCKmsj3CZSjxZkXs >). The CAA, it bears iterating, has little significance when uncoupled from the NRC. It has been brought in to (falsely) reassure the Hindus that even if they're filtered out by the NRC process - crores and crores are sure to encounter that predicament, there's nothing to worry. (In Assam 33 million people subjected themselves to the NRC process and, eventually, 1.9 million have been left out (ref.: < https://indianexpress.com/article/india/assam-nrc-final-list-bjp-congress-bangladesh-illegal-migration-5954490/>). That's about 6% of the total applicants. A Large number of Hindus - maybe about half, are, understandably, there among the left-outs. By this token, in case of India, as a whole, at least 60 million would be left out. Not to forget that the parameters for the rest of India would be rather stiffer: < https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/et-explains/is-a-pan-india-nrc-possible-the-lesson-from-assam/articleshow/72454225.cms >.) That's, apparently, a false promise - as in order to avail of the special privilege promised by the CAB one'll have to establish that one has come from either Afghanistan or Bangladesh or Pakistan, on or before Dec. 31st 2014. That could be quite tricky (ref.: < https://scroll.in/article/946430/bjp-claims-citizenship-bill-will-save-those-left-of-nrc-but-bengali-hindus-in-assam-are-sceptical >). Never mind. The real issue, here, is that the NPR/NRC is a central, and *not* s state, programme. The state may, at the most. withhold wholehearted cooperation. That's all a state can do. *Here, it needs be kept in mind, the (NRC) scheme is not powered by mere anti-Muslim prejudices; it's central aim is to wilfully trigger and perpetuate a civil war-like situation in India in order to help mobilise the Hindus as "Hindus", drowning out all other competing identities linked to gender, ethnicity, language, caste, class, age-group etc., so very necessary to derive the requisite propulsion for the journey towards a "Hindu Rashtra" - denuded of all vestiges of substantive democracy and pluralism, undertaken and piloted by the incumbent regime.* *No price is too high to accomplish that goal.Not even a huge chaos much larger than the one caused by demonetisation.* As has been noted above, street protests have already been staged and are being staged even outside the restive Northeast, by political outfits and various civil society organisations. The IUML has already filed a plea in the Supreme Court. Quite a few others are also expected to. *Unless, however, all these myriad protests gradually coalesce, grow and culminate into a really powerful civil disobedience movement - capable of derailing the sinister scheme, sweeping the land, for which some sundry players have already issued calls (ref.: <https://scroll.in/latest/946382/former-ias-officers-activists-call-for-civil-disobedience-against-citizenship-bill-and-nrc <https://scroll.in/latest/946382/former-ias-officers-activists-call-for-civil-disobedience-against-citizenship-bill-and-nrc>>), "India" is, for sure, doomed.It'd, most likely, be even worse than mere Pakistanisation of India.Conversely, a powerful counter movement can help "India" bounce back, as had happened in the wake of Indira Gandhi's spectacular electoral defeat, post-Emergency.* A powerful mass mobilisation may even make the judiciary rise to the occasion (ref.: < https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/the-morning-after-citizenship-amendment-bill-6162497/>), which it had pathetically failed to during the Emergency. *Right at this moment, hopes are, however, rather thin.This time the threat is even graver. Much graver.* Sukla Sen 13 12 2019 -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to greenyouth+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/greenyouth/CACEsOZi09idoBEytefJ6Dksv5ovxMtQZBn2U%2B1J7Oc7x5002nA%40mail.gmail.com.
