Anti-CAA protests: Women, children showing the way in Hussainabad
Lucknow/UNI: There was no let down in the spirit of protest at the historical Hussainabad clock tower here as women and children continued their agitation on Monday against Citizenship (Amendment) Act and National Register of Citizens (NRC) with crowd swelling every passing day.
The protesters demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who is coming to Lucknow on Tuesday to address a pro-CAA rally, should come at Husainabad clock tower and aware the women about the benefits of the CAA.
Several people were seen distributing fruits and other eatables while around 50 volunteers, mostly school girls, managed the crowd.
An aroma of patriotism prevailed as protestors waved National Flags and held placards with patriotic slogans.
A protester and student union leader Pooja Shukla, while talking to media, said Mr Shah, should come to Hussainabad to educate these women about the benefit of the CAA ."It is the duty of the Union Home Minister to meet these women and participate in a debate over CAA," she stated.
Another activist Seema Rana said that the protest was spontaneous and large number of women along with their children have joined their dharna against the CAA."We are looking into the well being of the women participating in the stir by making arrangements of food and other essentials including medicines," she added.
'In night, all lights were switched off. Public toilets in the area were locked. But through the night, people kept coming with blankets and food. They offered us their toilets to use. We spent the night holding candles. You will find people of different political ideologies here, but this is a people's movement. A new leadership will emerge from it,' alleged another activist Veena.
During Sunday night, the protesters flashed mobile phones lights and recited Ram Prasad Bismil's poem 'Sarfaroshi ki tamanna ab humare dil mein hai, dekhna hai kitna zor bazuae qatil mein hain' (The desire for revolution is in our hearts, let us see how much strength is in the arms of the enemy).
Children held placards that read 'Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isai, Aapas Mein Sab Bhai Bhai' (Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christians, all brothers) and ‘No to citizenship based on religion’.
A dispute arose on Monday when a woman suddenly started to raising ' Yogi Adityanath Jindabad' slogan which was vehemently objected by others. Later, the woman was not allowed to participate in the protest. "Demands would only be met by UP CM, hence I had raised a slogan in support of Yogi Adityanath," she said.
On Saturday, two women raised pro-Pakistan slogans. They were also removed from the protest.
The protest began on Friday with just a handful of men and women. When crowd started to swell, the women asked the men to leave as they did not want any confrontation with the police.
The protesters feel that CAA has been brought to 'attack' the Muslim religious sentiments and National Register of Citizens will again bring the people in the queue. 'This law is an effort to break the cordial relationship between Hindu and Muslim,' they claimed.
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