Washington Siyasat.net
The Hamtramack city council in Michigan,USA passed a resolution on last tuesday denouncing the unjustified, unwarranted and unfair Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA) which rocked India last December, 2019. It described this law as discriminatory and proposed NRC by the Hindutva nationalist BJP govt.in India led by Narendra Modi
Hamtramack is the fifth city council in USA, after Seattle, Albany, Cambridge and St Paul to pass resolution against the islamophobic Citizenship Amendment Act. (CAA)
While opposing the CAA, the City Council accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of Indian and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of fostering “the exclusionary ideology of Rahstriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a nationalist organization, which promotes hate and discrimination against Muslims and other minorities”.
The Hamtramack City Council took note of the hate-speech by Indian Home Minister Amit Shah, who “vowed in speeches to expand the checks used in Assam to other states and then use the CAA to purge India of ‘infiltrators’ and ‘termites’”.
The City Council apprehends that the implementation of Nationawide NRC would render millions of Indian homeless.
“Many Indians lack documentation such as birth certificates to prove citizenship, and a nationwide expansion of the NRC could strip hundreds of millions of people (especially Muslims, oppressed castes like Dalits, poor women, indigenous groups known collectively as Adivasi, and LGBTQ communities) of their Indian citizenship,” states the resolution.
The ongoing crackdown against anti-CAA-NRC protesters and destruction of Muslim lives, homes, and businesses by police and mobs in cities such as Delhi, Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar, Meerut, Ghaziabad, Bulandshahr, Aligarh, Sambhal, Firozabad, and Rampur also found mention in the resolution.
Coaliation Of Americans for Pluralism in India (CAPI), a non-profit organization based in Michigan and a lead Interfaith coalition, which was instrumental in garnering community support for the Resolution, has welcomed the newly-passed resolution.
while congratulating the move taken by Hamtramack City council, CAPI compared the Citizenship (Amendment) Act with the Nurembeg Laws that contributed to the Holocaust.
Issuing a press release, CAPI said, “The South Asian community including the Indian diaspora in the City of Hamtramck is very concerned about the impending humanitarian fallout due to the implementation of the CAA & NRC in India.”
“This is an important coming-together of all voices of religious acceptance and cultural pluralism to support this resolution”, commented Mr Masood Rab of CAPI.
“The City of Hamtramck, MI has joined the cities like Seattle WA, Albany NY, Cambridge MA and St. Paul MN that have clearly stated their position of preferring inclusiveness & diversity of faith by passing similar resolutions against CAA” said S Khan.
“I support this resolution, we should not be discriminatory against anyone” said Mr. Bill Myers, Executive Director of One Hamtramck LLC.
Besides discriminatory CAA and NRC some even expressed concern over the existing caste system in India and resentment towards the ‘hateful and intolerant’ ideology of RSS and BJP.
“It is important for we Americans to understand the Caste system. We despise the hateful and intolerant ideology of RSS and BJP which are discriminatory against Oppressed Castes, women, indigenous people and the LGBTQ community”, said Mr Ganga S. who resides in Metro Detroit area.
CAPI has been very much vocal against the adoption of CAA law and exercise of NRC and NPR by the Indian government. Earlier in the year, multiple protest rallies and webinars were organized by CAPI to voice our concern against CAA, NRC and NPR.
“This is another push in an effort to oppose injustice, racism, and discrimination. Hopefully, other cities would be encouraged to pass similar resolutions followed by federal legislation in the near future”, remarked Mr. Irfan, Chairman of CAPI Michigan team.
Siyasat.net adds from Delhi
The determination of rights to Indian citizenship based on religion triggered mass protests across India – some led by Muslim women – and resulted in a fierce police crackdown in India
Critics say the law discriminates against Muslims and undermines India’s secular constitution.
During the nationwide protests against the CAA, deadly violence had erupted in February in capital New Delhi in which 53 people, mostly Muslims, were killed.
Several anti-CAA activists were arrested in connection with the New Delhi violence and later charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), a stringent anti-terror law.
The UN human rights experts said the police also failed to act against the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and supporters accused of “incitement to hatred and violence”.
(www.siyasat.net is Ahmedabad,Gujarat, India based website)
