By Fr Roland Coelho, SJ –
Attending a civil society sponsored peaceful protest organized by educationist Arvind Bhatikar against the Citizen Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) at Panjim’s Azad Maidan in Goa on 18 December 2019, one of the very young protesters standing nearby, asked me: “Will anything come of this? Are Modi-Shah too powerful and will they do whatever they want without listening to the voices of the people?” I did not have an adequate answer, that evening.
A month later, young people don’t feel powerless. Powerful dissenting voices across the nation —particularly those of young people—have united to protest against the CAA which is discriminatory, divisive, and disruptive. The CAA applies to three of our eight neighbours—Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Pakistan—and arbitrarily chooses six religious communities—Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Christian, and Parsi refugees who entered into India on or before the 31st day of December, 2014. The CAA excludes other refugees—Ahmadis from Pakistan, Hindu and Christian Tamils from Sri Lanka, Buddhists from Tibet, and Rohingyas from Myanmar.
The Supreme Court has issued a notice to the Government asking for clarifications. This Court will decide on the validity of the CAA, judge whether the CAA violates the right to be treated equally under our constitution, and whether it discriminates on the basis of religion. The Government has not satisfactorily explained why Muslims and Jews have been left out of the CAA. Was this an arbitrary decision? Did the Government pass the CAA on the basis of data or because of the RSS agenda of Hindu Rashtra? Let the Supreme Court decide.
On the face of it, the CAA looks like a mild amendment. Combine it with the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and it has ominous overtones. The Assam NRC exercise is a case in point where 1.9 million people were unable to provide adequate documentation that the Government required. A majority of these are Bengali Hindus. Due to the CAA, these Bengali Hindus can get Indian citizenship if they entered our country before 31 Dec. 2014. Not so for the Muslims who also fled persecution in Bangladesh; they are at risk of being labelled “illegal immigrants” and being shunted to detention centres in Assam.
On Liberation Day last month, CM Pramod Sawant urged Goans “not [to] fall prey to such misleading campaigns.” As CM he assured people that it was his “duty to protect the interests of every Goan… Hindu, Muslim or Christian.”
Then why should we worry? Because the Modi Government has a brutal manner of protecting the interests of people, as seen in the vicious repression of democratic protests by youth, students, and civil society in many parts of this country. Because “ever since the new Government was elected in May 2019, there have been several controversial legislations passed by the Parliament that lead to the collapse of the democratic institutions of India which have been carefully and painstakingly built by enlightened leaders over the last seven decades” (Press Statement by Christian leaders, New Delhi, 20 Dec. 2019). Because a questionable law can be abused by the authorities against vulnerable citizens.
The CAA-NRC can be abused in Goa. Goa has fostered peaceful and harmonious existence between people of different faiths. Tourists often visit Goa because of the friendliness of people here and the pluralistic fabric of this state that makes people feel at ease with one another. This will change. Out-migration of Goans to foreign lands and In-migration of people from other states will transform Goan identity.
When the Government says that PAN, Aadhar, or Passport documents are not sufficient to prove citizenship, we should worry. When the Prime Minister says that you know protesters by “their clothes,” we should worry. When the BJP leader Dilip Ghosh says “Our governments in Uttar Pradesh, Assam and Karnataka have shot these people like dogs,” we should worry. When fundamentalists troll Deepika Padukone and demand the boycott of her film, because she took a stand, we should worry.
To that young protester standing next to me in the Azad Maidan last month, I would say, “Yes, your protest has the Government worried.” The people in Goa cannot keep silent. We must protest against the CAA and protect our constitution. For our good and for the good of our sisters and brothers.
The writer is Provincial of the Goa Province of the Society of Jesus