Save Constitution Satyagraha in Haldwani
SAMVIDHAN Bachao Manch organized a 72-hour sit-in Satyagraha against CAA-NRC-NPR in Haldwani from 25 January onwards after which a memorandum was sent to the President, the Chief Justice of India, and the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand demanding that NPR should be stopped in the State as has been done in many other States, and the Uttarakhand Assembly should pass resolutions for the repeal of CAA, withdrawal of Section 144, and reinstate the services of Aanganwadi workers. The dharna concluded with a collective reading of the Preamble of the Constitution and singing of the National Anthem.
Addressing the meeting held at the conclusion of the dharna, Jama Masjid Haldwani Imam Shahid Azahari said that thousands of people from different sections, regions, religions and castes have participated spontaneously in this dharna; this shows the tremendous amount of respect people have for the Constitution and how deeply they care about saving the Constitution and democracy.
CPIML Uttarakhand Secretary Raja Bahuguna said that all who love the country are deeply worried because the Republic of India has never before in all its 72 years of existence faced such a grave internal challenge as it does today from the Executive which has been given the powers and responsibilities to implement the law as laid down by the Constitution. Today the fundamental structure of the Constitution is under attack and the people of the country, led by the women and the youth, are standing up in its defence.
Badi Masjid Imam Sayyed Irfan Rasool said that the CAA-NRC-NPR project is based on a slew of lies which stands exposed today and nobody can snatch away our citizenship from us. Dr Kailash Pandey said that CAA-NRC-NPR is an unnecessary and malicious exercise which the government is bringing in as a diversionary tactic to take away attention from its all-round failure especially on the economic front. Councilor Shakeel Ansari said that the struggle against CAA-NRC-NPR will continue. Many prominent citizens, activists and common people addressed this dharna through 25 Jan to 28 January.
The protesters demanded from the Uttarakhand Vidhan Sabha to pass a resolution for withdrawal of CAA-NRC-NPR and that the process of NPR should be stopped forthwith in Uttarakhand State, Section 144 clamped down without any reason in 2 Thana areas in Haldwani (Banbhulpura and Kathgodam) should be lifted immediately. They also called upon the people of the state to observe a peaceful non-cooperation with the officials during NPR, if done, with the slogan ‘Kagaz Nahi Dikhayenge’.
Raja Bahuguna said that there is great apprehension and fear among the people regarding the National Population Register (NPR) and the next step National Register of Citizens (NRC). This fear is legitimately grounded in the spate of policies, rules and regulations being made by BJP governments. At the same time, Uttarakhand is home to lakhs of forest dwellers like khattavasis, vanvasis and gurjars as well as tribals like Van Raji, Tharu, Buxa and Jaunsari. Until 2011 Khattavasis and Vanvasis in Nainital and Udhamnagar Districts neither had ration cards or voter identity cards, nor were their names registered anywhere in the Family Register. Thus they were deprived of the benefits of all government schemes. There are thousands of such people in Haridwar and Dehradun Districts also. After the All India Kisan Mahasabha raised this issue in 2011 family registers, ration cards and voter cards started to be made for them. After that they started getting the benefits of some government schemes. These people had no identity proof before 2011 despite being citizens; how will they be able to give identity proof of their fathers and grandfathers? This process will push lakhs of such people into a state of non-citizenship.
