Enduring criticism for not speaking out against the Indian Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), several Bollywood personalities showed up for protests on Thursday.
Among those in attendance were Farhan Akhtar, Sushant Singh Rajput, Swara Bhaskar, Anurag Kashyap, Huma Qureshi, Nandita Das and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, reports The Indian Express.
Here’s what you need to know about why these protests are important. See you on the 19th at August Kranti Maidan, Mumbai. The time to protest on social media alone is over. pic.twitter.com/lwkyMCHk2v
— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) December 18, 2019
This is what we were, what we are and what we MUST remain! #neverforget pic.twitter.com/itmacCC9qV
— Sonakshi Sinha (@sonakshisinha) December 17, 2019
Thursday’s peaceful protest in the Indian city of Mumbai was one among at least 15 planned across the country. In many states, protesters were detained after Section 144 had been imposed. Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap said: “We are lucky to be in a state where they (the BJP) are not in power.” He said the government needs to come clean about its intentions rather than constantly manipulating citizens.
Speaking to the press, Akhtar said that to raise your voice against something is an absolute democratic right. “As a citizen of this country and as someone who has born [sic] and grown up with a certain idea of what India is, it is important to raise my voice against this.”
This is unreal. We are a secular democracy. This violence that the police have shown in dealing with the students is terrible. Citizens have the right to peacefully protest. @narendramodi @AmitShah Or that is not an option anymore ??
— Huma S Qureshi (@humasqureshi) December 16, 2019
?? Jai hind pic.twitter.com/mvDKpj7Z4z
— Varun SAHEJ Dhawan (@Varun_dvn) December 17, 2019
Akhtar’s appearance at the protest was brief. Actors such as Swara Bhaskar, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Javed Jaffrey gave speeches on stage. In her press interview, Bhaskar said: “The government needs to listen to the public that has elected it. If every part of Indian society is revolting against the CAA, then the government has to take cognizance instead of inflicting curfews, lathicharges and restricting phone services.”
Fresh protests, 9 killed, scores detained
Nine people were killed across India on Thursday as authorities clamped down on protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act.
If this is what’s gonna happen everytime a citizen expresses their view, forget #CAB, we should pass a bill and not call our country a democracy anymore! Beating up innocent human beings for speaking their mind? BARBARIC.
— Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) December 17, 2019
You will tell us who deserves to be a refugee and who does not based on religion (CAA). Then you will tell us who is an Indian and who is not based on religion (NRC). Why cant you just be honest for once and accept what you are doing Amit Shah? Tell us your real plan. #Divider https://t.co/ksO00eBQl4
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) December 18, 2019
Defying unprecedented prohibitory orders across regions, simultaneous protests broke out in multiple cities, prompting authorities to detain a large number of activists and students and clamp down on mobile services in parts of the national capital and other states.
Senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, social activist Harsh Mander, scholar Yogendra Yadav, and left leaders Sitaram Yechury and D Raja were among the 1,200 detained in Delhi near the Red Fort and Mandi House, reports Scroll.in.
“ Democracy is not the law of the majority but the protection of the minority.”- Albert Camus https://t.co/MbEp38ZrQt
— Mahesh Bhatt (@MaheshNBhatt) December 17, 2019
There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.
— manoj bajpayee (@BajpayeeManoj) December 16, 2019
With the students and their democratic rights to protest ! I condemn violence against protesting students!!!!!
In Bengaluru, historian and intellectual Ramachandra Guha and over 200 people, including many professors, were detained by the police but this did not protestors from marching to the city’s Town Hall.
"I am protesting non-violently, but look, they are stopping us," Guha told Reuters.
Police said they had detained around 200 people in the city, where protest organizers said thousands attended four demonstrations on Thursday.
‘To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activities so that the nation constantly RISES TO HIGHER LEVELS OF ENDEAVOUR AND ACHIEVEMENT.’ - Article 51 A (j) #ConstitutionofIndia #UnityIsOurReligion #FundamentalDuty https://t.co/Hk44AsnUFz
— Dia Mirza (@deespeak) December 17, 2019
Mera Bharat Mahaan! ?? ♥️ https://t.co/Lc1mKfSIzd
— Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) December 17, 2019
Prohibitory orders banning large gatherings are in place in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka – both of which have the Bharatiya Janata Party in power. Internet services were suspended in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district, where a state-run bus was set ablaze.
This!?? ?? pic.twitter.com/X8qj9sCdEO
— Ayushmann Khurrana (@ayushmannk) December 16, 2019
There were reports of demonstrations in other parts of the country as well. Police baton-charged protestors in Ahmedabad. Several demonstrators, most of them university students, were detained in Hyderabad on their way to Exhibition Grounds, where a demonstration was planned
