On India’s 71st Republic Day yesterday, more than 500 Indian-Americans protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the American capital of Washington DC and marched from a park near the White House to the Gandhi Statue in front of the Indian embassy.
The protests in the USA, however, were peaceful one by a large number of Indian Americans in various cities across the USA.
On the contrary, a fair share of Indian-Americans was seen supporting the CAA who sought to counter the protesters by asserting that India “cares for neighboring minorities “ and “CAA won’t impact Indian citizens”.
Supporters outnumbered by Protestors against CAA–
The supporters of CAA, however, were outnumbered by the protesters who held peaceful rallies and marches across the various US cities.
The protestors carried anti-CAA banners and raising slogans against the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and demanding that citizenship amendment act should be repealed.
They also demanded revoking the proposed national register for citizens (NRC), adding India’s secular fabric is under threat.
The protesters were countered by the Indian-American supporters of CAA who congratulated the Indian government for taking such a bold step.
USA cities that witnessed the maximum CAA protests–
Out of the many cities across the USA, particularly in New York, Houston, San Francisco, Atlanta and Chicago having Indian consulates, and at the Indian embassy in Washington DC, witnessed protesters shouting slogans like “Bharat Mata Ki Jai” and “Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai- Aapas mai sab bhai bhai”.
Chicago, was reported to witness the largest gathering against the citizenship amendment act where Indian-American gathered in large numbers and formed about a seven-mile-long human chain.
The citizenship amendment act protests in at least 30 cities across the USA were organized by recently formed coalition to stop genocide, comprising several organizations like Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), Equality Labs, Black Lives Matter (BLM), Hindus for Human Rights (HFHR) and Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP).
Magsaysay award winner Sandeep Pandey was also seen raising his voice against the CAA addressing a gathering in Washington DC saying the brutal crackdown by the government of India on anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests has created a situation in which women in large numbers have come out on streets to challenge the divisive-communal-fascist agenda of the government “.
Dr. Shaik Ubaid from New York said, “protests happening not only in India but around the world represent a global consensus against the draconian policies of the Modi-Shah government “.
Minhaj Khan from New Jersey said, “all Indians are equal citizens and that is the foundational social contract between the Indian nation and its citizens”.
IAMC President Ahsan Khan from the Bay Area in California said the rally of Indian Americans represents an extension of the massive unrest in India against the ruling BJP government for its relentless attacks against the secular Constitution.
Indian-Americans and people of conscience in the USA are seeking accountability from the Hindu nationalist regime that wants to turn Indian Muslims into foreigners and render them stateless and, said Mr. Khan in San Francisco.
