Prakash Ambedkar
Friends, you know that people are protesting continuously against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC), and National Population Register (NPR) since more than 50 days in Shaheen Bagh and in many other parts of Delhi and whole of India. These protesters are trying to save their constitution and their rights enshrined in it, and the secular fabric of this country. These protesters are the real patriots – people who love their constitution.
On the other hand, there are a few mainstream media and political parties which are ignoring the fact that this is a people’s movement against the anti-constitutional and anti-people law. Such media and political parties have almost succeeded in portraying these protesters as just a Muslim crowd, separating them from rest of India. These media and political parties are trying to show that CAA, NRC, NPR are not anti-national, while this protest is just an unnecessary provocation by a few muslims.
In the last few years, the social environment has been made so anti-Muslim that all the acts done by Muslims are seen with suspicion. While we should always remember that the social movement of Mahatma Jotiba Phule and Savitribai Phule were supported mostly by Muslims. Muslim women like Fatima Sheikh supported Savitriai Phule the most. How can we forget that Babasaheb Ambedkar was supported by the Muslims the most when he took the charge to complete Mahatma Phule’s dream of making this country a democratic and socialist state. During the Round Table Conference also, Muslims played a very important role when Dr. Ambedkar won the right of separate electorates for the most oppressed people of the country.
And even today, whether it is about the struggle of Bhima Koregaon or any other struggle, Muslims have played a key role to save democracy in the country. Therefore, due to the sacrifices and dedication of Muslims, the casteist and communal forces are trying sickeningly to brand Muslims as anti-national. Such casteist people actually hate democracy. Therefore, very cleverly they are provoking common Hindus aginst Muslims. But, their actual target are deprived Dalits and Bahujans. Do not forget how in the last few days they have shown their ill intentions against Mahatma Phule.
Actually the real target of these casteist and communal people has always remained the democratic nature of the country. And now through CAA, NRC, and NPR they are hell bent to destroy the constitution of the country. And they will easily succeed in their motive if they succeed in implementing this law. Because, when people don’t even have the right to vote, then they won’t be able to save their rights which they got through the constitution.
Other Backward Classes (OBC) and other labour classes’ homes, savings etc.–which they have earned through their hard labour–will be seized in one go through NRC. They will have to leave their government and private jobs too if they fail to prove their citizenship. They will be marked as doubtful citizens in their own country.
The government’s intention is to implement a refined version of Manusmriti. But, if the OBCs who are the largest population in the Bahujan of the country, join the deprived population in this protest to save the constitution and nation, then there is no doubt that we can defeat the manuwadi conspirators.
Friends, with this thought we request all the people to reach Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on 4th of March 2020 in large numbers so that we can pressurise this anti-poor, anti-women, anti-OBC, anti-Dalit, anti-Muslim government to withdraw CAA, NRC and NRC and save our constitution, our nation and our democracy. Let’s not Babasaheb’s hard labour go in vain simply because of a few Sanghis.
Friends, this fight is not to save one caste or religion, but to save humanity in the country. Therefore any person, irrespective of caste or religion, who believes in humanity will have to participate in this fight. We should never forget that this government has built detention centres in at least 10 states where all the SC-ST-OBC-Muslims who fail to prove their citizenship will be detained. Then these SC-ST-OBC-Muslims will remain deprived of their democratic and constitutional rights and will live the life of slaves in the detention centres. But, we believe that if we all participate in this movement and gather in Delhi on 4th of March then we will surely succeed in saving our constitution and our nation.
~ Prakash Ambedkar
President, Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi
दिल्ली चलो ! दिल्ली भरो !!
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Prakash Ambedkar shared this press release while addressing activists in Delhi in the Indian Social Institute, New Delhi.
Translated from Hindi by Dhamma Darshan Nigam.
