Sir,
I consider CAA a historic Act of Parliament which not only upholds democratic credentials of India but moral & cultural values of our great nation. I don’t understand why the opposition parties and the student community has alarmingly turned out on the roads supposedly to defend the Constitution by means of violent protests. As a layman I see no justification in students mass protests against CAA. Even they realised it having stuck their neck out. Sensing untenablity of their action, they shifted the focus. They gave a clarion call countrywide to protests against Police entry in Jamia Milia Islamia, their vandalism of the library, and manhandling the innocent students who were studying for civil services exam. This allegation, if true, is serious. Consequently students’ anger and reaction is but natural thus getting traction. The allegations called for an immediate judicial enquiry to clear the mist. This evidently hasn’t been done. The govt is answerable for it. Hence opposition is up in arms against the govt. Students anger needs to be addressed soonest lest the flame so ignited by the opposition spreads like a wild fire. Prime Minister’s statement, “opposition is firing from young shoulders”, should be seriously considered by the excited young minds. As bright future of the nation, whom should they listen and whom not, is for the students to decide. Let the disgruntled opposition not steer their actions.
Alarming threats, arson, loot, and false propaganda during street protests is against the very ideals of nationhood. Once the CAB was elaborately debated in the Parliament, it should not be made a do or die issue at the first place. Those who feel that the govt with a brute majority has got an unconstitutional bill through should go to Supreme Court. Anti CAA protests, if at all, should be peaceful which I am sure will have greater impact. Instead they are frightfully threatening, violent and vandalizing thereby denting the credibility of students movement against the bill. CAA is not anti Muslims which has been reiterated by the prime minister and home minister many times inside and outside Parliament. How can secular India, with second largest Muslim population in the world, deprive any of them of their inheritance in any manner. Smt Sonia Gandhi shouldn’t not mislead the otherwise agitated minds for vote bank politics. Connecting CAA with NRC is also wrong because they are two different issues. NRC may be a cause of concern of many Indians but CAA is a noble Act helping few lakh minorities who have been continuously persecuted in Islamic countries. Therefore CAA should be welcomed and violent protests ceased forthwith. NRC, when made applicable may be contested legally or otherwise but jumping the gun is also untenable. National interest should be kept above all, by one and all, while agitating no matter who is ruling or in the opposition.
Col J P Singh
Gandhinagar, Jammu
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