By TwoCircles.Net staff correspondent
Raj Bhavan, Governor of Kerala’s official residence at Thiruvananthapuram, was blockaded on February 25 and 26 by the Welfare Party of India for an organized protest to continue dissenting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Hailed as the first ever for Raj Bhavan, the blockade saw the famous trio, Beevi Asma Khatun, Sarvari and Bilkis, better known as Dadis of Shaheen Bagh, speaking against the Act during the 30-hour protest. This came at a time when the Governor had vehemently opposed protests against the Act in the state.
“We are leading the anti-CAA protests to live with dignity and not to die out of fear,” said Beevi Asma Khatun inaugurating the programme on February 25. The spirit of unity against the discriminatory Act could be seen as thousands of men, women and children from different parts of Kerala cheered aloud at the state capital. Khatun explained that all of us as citizens of this country deserve honour and equality, and should perform our duties by moving forward together to defeat the ‘anti-human law’ without fearing an inch.
“Narendra Modi implemented the CAA to sabotage and eliminate the Constitution,” she said. Khatun added that in a country where countless live on road-sides, streets and forests without any piece of land in their lifetimes cannot show papers. She then handed over a copy of the Constitution to Aysha Renna, the student leader from Jamia Millia Islamia, who assured the crowd that the protests will continue until CAA is withdrawn.
“We should recognize and counter the conspiracy to sabotage the people’s struggle by turning it into riots,” said Aysha at the keynote address. She added that the government and the national media are trying to portray the recent happenings in Delhi as a conflict between the anti-CAA protestors and the pro-CAA protestors, which is false. She mentioned Sharjeel Imam, Dr Kafeel Khan and students of Aligarh who are lodged in various jails across UP, demanding their immediate release. The violence in Delhi, she said, is an instrumental planning of the government to choke the CAA struggle at its second phase.
“What is being done is a proper, systematic genocide,” said Ayesha regarding the Delhi violence. She discussed that the media is calling Delhi violence as ‘riot’ which is not so, because riots are conflicts between law enforcement and the system or with different groups fighting each other which is not the case in Delhi violence. She opined that it is a genocide as genocides are aimed specifically at particular communities and religions, stating that, “It would not be fair to use a word other than genocide to refer to it.”
“The Sangh Parivar and police are together carrying out genocide in Delhi,” said Hameed Vaniyambalam, Welfare Party State President. Vaniyambalam continued addressing the crowd by explaining how the Delhi violence and rioting is a fascist suppression instead of dealing with them democratically. He opined that the Census procedures are a way to tactically bring in the NRC and should be halted till the uncertainties are removed.
Others present at the protest were female leaders of different struggles. PK Gomathi, Soya Joseph, Vineetha Vijayan, CV Jameela, Afeeda Ahmed, KK Raheena and Ramla Mampad.
The presence of the Dadis of Shaheen Bagh further reinforced hope among the women and children. The two days protest aso saw leaders KPA Majeed (Muslim League, General Secretary), MM Hasan (Former President, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee), Adoor Prakash (MP), Thodiyoor Muhammed Kunju Moulavi among others.