[*Immediate Task* In the context of the ongoing protest movements, it's necessary to note that while the incumbent regime is pretending to backtrack a bit on the issue of the NRC - as implied in Prime Minister's blatant lies in his Ramlila Maidan speech (ref.: < https://www.altnews.in/pm-modis-speech-on-caa-nrc-a-combination-of-falsehoods-and-half-truths/> and < https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/nrc-caa-narendra-modi-fact-check_in_5e0050aee4b0843d35fe1e65>), in all probability, it's only meant to deceive.
In fact, * the NRC, as it appears, is due to arrive dressed up as (rather harmless-looking?) NPR.* *In its pre-test from, it has added questions as regards parents' places of birth, apart from names. *Also will be collected: Aadhaar (optional), voter ID card, mobile phone and driving licence numbers. (Ref.: < https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/npr-trial-form-gets-government-nod-for-rollout/article30446279.ece >.) *Based on the NPR, a list of "doubtful citizens" would be prepared.* It's quite conceivable that only, or primarily, those identified as "doubtful citizens" would be sent notices under the NRC to provide whatever listed (difficult to produce) documents to prove citizenship. While a huge number would be affected, most would be not. *The regime is, most likely, banking on the possibility that the resistance would thus be emasculated*. (Quite possibly, only in order to confuse, the rules for the NRC - specifying the methodology to be followed and "documents" to be produced, remain to be framed and notified. Most likely, this is planned to be done *only* *afte*r the NPR process is over and *the necessary data*, thereby, *collected*.) Hence, *right at this point of time, the challenge is to convert the ongoing protest movements into concrete actions towards scuttling the NPR*. *Implications of NRC+CAA* *I*. The CAA as a stand-alone measure has little significance (except in the North-East and, also, West Bengal), other than symbolic . *II*. *It, however, singles out Muslims for exclusion*. It's essentially discriminatory - in three ways *A*. The persecuted from the non-Muslim-majority neighbouring countries - (Rohingyas from) Myanmar, (Tamils from) Sri Lanka, (Tibetans from) Tibet/China etc., do not qualify. *B*. Nor the persecuted Muslims - Ahmadiyyas, Shias, Hazaras, Balochs etc., from the Muslim-majority neighbouring countries. *C*. The persecuted, on grounds of other than religious, are nor considered. *III*. But, *bundled with the National Register of Citizens (NRC), it is designed to send out the (deceptive and) toxic message that the huge number of Hindus who would, certainly, be filtered out by the NRC process, for want of "documents", have nothing to worry - the CAA would take care of them, and only the Muslims would be stripped of their citizenship and turned stateless*. (Ref.: Amit Shah repeatedly doing so at < https://scroll.in/article/947436/who-is-linking-citizenship-act-to-nrc-here-are-five-times-amit-shah-did-so>.) *IV*. It's quite another matter that even the filtered out Hindus, and other non-Muslims, in order to be counted as Indian citizens will have to establish the claim of migration, in terms of "documents", from either Afghanistan or Bangladesh or Pakistan, to India, on or before Dec. 31 2014. (Ref.: < https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/migrants-wont-get-citizenship-automatically/articleshow/72799784.cms?fbclid=IwAR3A5mMc4F2JD1NXCHfQ8V6Xn8Gm9D-LRtYWMVdtPvpPRDtxYrn9pdBvli0 >.) Hence... *NPR: The Vital Link* Chastened by the experience of the NRC exercise in Assam, where 1.9 million, understandably including a large number of Hindus, out of total 33 million applicants have found themselves, eventually, filtered out (ref.: < https://indianexpress.com/article/india/assam-nrc-final-list-bjp-congress-bangladesh-illegal-migration-5954490/>), the Union Government has, this time, opted to, first, carry out a survey in order to prepare a National Population Register (NPR) - containing biometric details of the individuals, as the stepping stone towards the NRC. (Ref.: < https://scroll.in/article/947784/npr-days-after-modi-says-nrc-word-hasnt-been-uttered-cabinet-clears-3900-crore-for-first-step> and < https://indianexpress.com/article/india/npr-nrc-link-amit-shah-central-government-parliament-6183572/?fbclid=IwAR2KCXmxsItXP-7_84-_H_JJi1855x2yvfJvWlABYwAz84IQRMchr1Y8BbM >). *Utility of the NPR* I. *It'll help delineate those to be targeted during the NRC exercise proper*. II. It'll create a biometric database to subsequently apprehend those filtered out by the NRC process, from any corner of the land. *Apparent Illegality of the Planned NPR* The biometric data collection, unrelated to any state-run welfare schme (or linking with the PAN) appears to go against even the Aadhaar judgement by the Indian Supreme Court, let alone the (previous) one on privacy, recognising it as a fundamental right of a citizen. This deserves to be also legally challenged on the ground of being violative of privacy rights. Regardless of how the Court is going to respond. *The Real Driver* The real intent and purpose of the CAA-reinforced NRC is, by threatening an ethnic cleansing by specifically targeting Indian Muslims, to trigger and perpetuate a civil war-like situation - by stirring up panic, rage and hatred, across religious divides, in order to mobilise the Hindus as "Hindus" - drowning out all other competing identities linked to gender, ethnicity, language, caste, class, age-group etc., in turn, to dismantle the "India" that had been brought into being by the epic Indian freedom struggle to make way for a "Hindu Rashtra" - a Hindu majoritarian state, denuded of all vestiges of substantive democracy and pluralism. (Ref.: *What Now?* and *Conclusion* in < https://groups.google.com/forum/#!searchin/greenyouth/Sukla$20Sen$2C$202019$20Parliamentary$20Poll$3A$20Outcome$3A$20Drivers$3A$20Consequences$20%7Csort:date/greenyouth/jDH-u677CzY/z4ES9B7OBAAJ >.) *Demands to be Raised* *AA*. A formal statement from the PM assuring no NRC - given his public denial, blatantly false though, that the issue has ever been discussed by the regime (ref.: < https://www.altnews.in/pm-modis-speech-on-caa-nrc-a-combination-of-falsehoods-and-half-truths/>) and, also, the fact that, as of now, as many as 12 state/UT government representing more than half of India have taken stance against the NRC (< https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/from-bengal-to-punjab-10-states-which-have-refuses-to-implement-caa-nrc>) - the latest entrant being Puducherry (ref.: < https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/caa-ignores-muslims-won-t-implement-it-in-puducherry-says-cm-narayanasamy-1631768-2019-12-26>), to be, subsequently, backed up by a declaration by the government on the floor of the parliament to that effect. *BB*. Scrapping of the NPR - the officially designated "*first step towards the creation of a National Register of Citizens*" (ref.: < http://www.censusindia.gov.in/vital_statistics/crs/crs_division.html>) and also,* for the first time, inclusion of parents' names, dates and places of birth in the form* (ref.: < https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/news/india/npr-nrc-2-sides-of-the-same-coin/amp_articleshow/72985517.cms?__twitter_impression=true&fbclid=IwAR15OZnM7E7HtTX7yadTXPwiWfRmDLYz7i1sBp2H3bLqQtyXy4JQD1kpX18>); only routine census to be undertaken, as per schedule. *CC*. The government to issue an ordinance to scrap the current, discriminatory, CAA. *DD*. India to confirm adherence to the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951, together with the 1967 Protocol. Till accomplishment, resistance must keep gathering greater, and still greater, momentum. All efforts must be geared towards that. *The NPR has got to be resisted*.] https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/india-prepares-new-yea-eve-fresh-protests-against-citizenship-law-1632910-2019-12-31 CAA protests: India welcomes New Year with fresh agitations Thousands of Indians are welcoming the New Year by holding protests against the amended citizenship law that aims to expedite non-Muslim immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. India Today Web Desk New Delhi December 31, 2019 UPDATED: December 31, 2019 19:57 IST Demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against a new citizenship law in Mumbai, India, December 30, 2019. REUTERS In the wake of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) stir, that spread like a bushfire across the country, thousands of citizens are welcoming the New Year by holding protests against the amended citizenship law that aims to grant non-Muslim immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, who entered India on or before 31 December 2014. Combined with opposition to a proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) many fear that the move will discriminate against the Muslim community and chip away at the country’s secular fabric. Protesters have planned at least three demonstrations in Delhi, including the area of Shaheen Bagh, where hundreds of residents have blocked a major highway for 18 days, despite direction to end their agitation. In the national capital, people have braved the cold weather and continued their agitation saying they won’t budge until CAA is rolled back. On Tuesday, the protest was held in New Delhi’s Jamia Millia University, where leaders like the Communist Party of India’s (CPI) D Raja and Loktantrik Janata Dal’s (LJD) Sharad Yadav joined hands with protesters. Organisers have also planned poetry recitals and speeches at a protest outside Jamia University, which was stormed by Delhi Police this month. New Year’s resolution to defend the constitution, read the schedule for another protest planned in New Delhi. Party-like invites for staging anti-CAA agitation at Jamia on new Year Eve Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has said that it plans to deploy additional forces in the national capital on New Year’s Eve, with traffic curbs imposed in some parts, citing security concerns. All precautionary measures are in place, said police official Chinmoy Biswal, who oversees the southeastern part of the city that includes Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Millia University. Recently, there have been no incidents. So we hope things will remain fine, he told Reuters. While in other parts of the countryKolkata, Ludhiana, Kerala-- protests against CAA were held on Monday. In the southern city of Hyderabad, at least two small groups of demonstrators have been organising flash protests, to skirt police restrictions on larger gatherings. Street-side poetry recitals, stand-up comedy, and music performances are also planned in Mumbai and Kolkata. But some protests have turned violent, particularly in Uttar Pradesh, which has left at least 25 people dead due to gunshot wounds and many have been detained by the state police. while in Assam, more than 5 people were killed after protests against the contentious CAA turned violent in early December. A glimpse of ongoing protest at outside Jamia Milia University in Delhi Surekha @surekhapillai everybody is out on the streets in jamia #JamiaProtest View image on Twitter 27 4:28 PM - Dec 31, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy See Surekha's other Tweets aldous @aldooshooxley लोग डटे हुए हैं#JamiaProtest #ShaheenBagh #CAAProtest View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter 3 5:25 PM - Dec 31, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy See aldous's other Tweets FaHaD Mustafa 🇮🇳 @fahadmustafa91 दरख्त जो सुखाने पे तुले हैं सब्ज पत्ते जो गिराने पे तुले हैं मजहबी इम्तियाज के जरिए जो डराने पे तुले हैं एहत्ताज के जरिए हम भी उनको समझाने पे तुले हैं 📝 तौसीफ_कतालपुरी#IndiaDoesNotSupportCAA_NRC#JamiaProtest View image on Twitter 2 4:39 PM - Dec 31, 2019 Twitter Ads info and privacy See FaHaD Mustafa 🇮🇳's other Tweets Delhi Traffic Police has asked protesters to stay away from Delhi Noida arterial roads in order allow free flow of traffic during protests. (With Reuters inputs) -- 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 [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web, visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/greenyouth/CACEsOZjuh3e675rAYN%2BacUHjN-pPoi8gFq%3DLKdunR_jp4dE%3D1A%40mail.gmail.com.
