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***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2020
       
C.A.P.I.
COALITION OF AMERICANS FOR PLURALISM IN INDIA
29004 W. Eight Mile Road, Farmington, MI 48336 
Email: info@muslimobserver.com

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HUNDREDS PROTEST AGAINST INDIA’S CAA, NRC, NPR CELEBRATE INDIA’S CONSTITUTION – PROTEST RALLY

Detroit, MI – Braving the winter winds, over 300 individuals and representatives from diverse organizations gathered on the occasion of India’s Republic Day at McNamara Federal Building to protest the changes to India's secular constitution by the Modi’s Government. The recent amendments to the Indian Constitution are leading the world's biggest democracy from secularism towards Fascism. There were congruent protests in many cities across the USA simultaneously.  

The rally started by playing national anthems of both America and India. Many prominent citizens followed by speaking about the impacts of the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act), NRC (National Register of Citizens), and NPR (National Population Register). The CAA uses religion as a qualifying criterion for refugees to grant citizenship while the NRC and NPR call upon citizens to prove their citizenship by asking for rarely issued documents. Thousands of people are at risk of being wrongfully stripped of both their property and their rights. Those people who can not validate their records end up in detention camps. Most of these people lack the resources to represent themselves in court. Modi’s government has no regard for these people's lives since it does not fit into Hindutva/RSS ideology of making India into a Hindu only Nation.

Women and young speakers spoke out against the violent, inhuman brutality by Indian Police and militias of the ruling BJP party against the democratic and peaceful protesters from the city streets to the university libraries and classrooms. Brutal measures including beating both men and women protesters and firing has caused many serious injuries and deaths. These actions against the protesters are targeted at suppressing free speech guaranteed by the constitution of India.

A high school student, Areena Chavda, reminded the audience that the new laws “Use religion as a base for discrimination. This has happened many times in history in many different corners of the world. The most prominent example of this is the Holocaust.” Talking about the government which is seizing the human and religious rights of minorities, she asked everyone, “We need to stand up against the government who believes it's okay to take away basic human rights from its people… We need to help restore India’s current government to the democracy it was meant to be.”

She closed her remarks by asking everyone, “Now please join me in taking an oath to stand with the brave students who are fighting for democracy in India: We absolutely condemn the violent suppression of these protests.” 
“Along with these very students we reject the unconstitutional and discriminatory use of religion as a basis of citizenship in the citizenship amendment act and call upon the Government of India to withdraw this citizenship amendment law.”

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This peaceful protest rally ended up by the crowd joining in the chants of ‘liberation’ (AZADI) - from the oppression of the current rule of India’s fascist BJP government and the breakdown of law and order by police and its militia wing RSS (Rashtriya SwayamSevak Sangh).

 

Contact: Masood Rab, Telephone: (313) 207 6000
 

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Download Press release here

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UN Article: https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/12/1053511

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Facebook Post: https://www.facebook.com/613326712/posts/10157082566051713/?d=n

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