Indian Americans protest in 30 US Cities against citizenship law

Indian Americans protest in 30 US Cities against citizenship law.

Thousands of slogan-shouting Indian-Americans staged a demonstration near the Consulate of India in New York.

They were protesting against new citizenship regulations that discriminate against Muslims.

‘Coalition Against Genocide’ — a grouping of some 40 organizations based in the United States and Canada organized the protest.

The protest timed to coincide with India’s Republic Day.

Similar protests took place in Washington, D.C. and 28 other major American cities.

The representatives of American-Sikh, Christian and Jewish organizations and human rights bodies participated.

In New York, members of “Black Lives Matter”, a powerful organization of Afro-Americans, also joined the protest.

The largest gathering of anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protestors reported from Chicago.

 Indian-Americans gathered in large numbers and formed a several mile-long human chain.

A number of women among the protestors were carrying anti-CAA banners.

They were raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They also demanded CAA’s repeal and revocation of the proposed National Register for Citizens (NRC).

While speaking at the rally in New York they condemned the BJP govt.

Dr. Shaikh Ubaid a founding member of Coalition Against Genocide also spoke.

They denounced the citizenship regulations pushed through by India’s Hindu-nationalist government as “unconstitutional” and called for the immediate withdrawal.

Amid slogans of “Inqailb Zinda Bad”, they said the brutal crackdown by Indian government on anti-CAA and anti-NRC protests has created a situation in which women in large numbers have come out on streets in India.

They too challenge the divisive-communal-fascist agenda of the government.

The Speakers said the new Indian regulations undermine the commitment to secularism enshrined in the country’s constitution, which was adopted in 1950.

Imran Pasha, New York chapter president of the Indian American Muslim Council, said that he believes the true aim of the amendment and related measures is to disenfranchise Muslims and force them to convert to Hinduism.

Furthermore, he called the citizenship regulations “purely discriminatory.”

“We really condemn this. We want to protest this.”

Habeeb Ahmed, president of the Islamic Center of Long Island in Westbury said, “It is very, very difficult and very painful right now for the whole Indian Muslim community,” he said.

“We really condemn this. We want to protest this.”

Meanwhile, the demonstration lasted three hours in New York.

Imran Pasha, New York chapter president of the Indian American Muslim Council, called the citizenship regulations “purely discriminatory.”