Hyderabad: The protests against the contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) has grown into a nationwide movement with millions taking to the street to express their dissent to what critics term as an "exclusionary" and "discriminatory" piece of legislation.
The Act seeks to grant citizenship to "illegal immigrants" (currently living in India) belonging to any of the six non-Muslim minority religious groups including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis and Christians from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh on grounds of religious persecution.
The protesters out on the streets are also objecting the central government's intention to follow up CAA with a pan India National Register of Citizens (NRC) or National Register of Indian Citizens on the basis of an updated National Population Register (NPR) - a commitment often reiterated by senior Bharatiya Janta Party leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah - as many believe that the new law, when coupled with NPR and NRIC, would fast-track India's transition into a majoritarian country.
With several weeks into the anti-CAA protests, here is a look at the social, political and economic fallout of the bandhs, curfews and internet shutdowns ordered by the respective state government, apart from arrests and detentions by police to curb dissent.
- Social fallout
The otherwise largely peaceful anti- CAA-NRC-NPR protests have taken a violent turn in certain parts of the country.
Uttar Pradesh:
The state of BJP-ruled Uttar Pradesh has witnessed the death of 19 people due to police action, excluding the death of an eight-year-old boy - which the police attributes to "stampede when protesters were retreating".
As many as 1,113 have been arrested, and 5,558 have been kept in preventive detention in UP as on December 26.
Around 351 policemen have also sustained injuries in the anti-CAA protests.
Internet services have been suspended in 14 districts of the state.
Delhi:
The Jamia Millia Islamia turned into a battlefield on Friday after police barged into the University campus on December 13 without taking permission from authorities concerned, fired tear gas shells and baton-charged students protesting peacefully against CAA.
A fact finding report compiled by a six-member team of the People’s Union for Democratic Rights on the incidents in Jamia Millia between December 13 and 15, states that around 85 students had sought treatment at Alshifa Hospital near Jamia University. Of the total, 35 required stitches, 15-20 suffered orthopaedic fractures, and around 20 sustained head injuries.
As many as 21 people were injured, including 12 Delhi police personnel and three Rapid Action Force personnel, during anti-CAA protests in Seelampur and Zaffrabad in East Delhi. Five persons were also detained in connection with the incident.
20 entry and exit points to Delhi metro stations were shut.
Hundreds of people protesting against the CAA have been detained so far by the Delhi Police.
As recently as December 23, Delhi police detained 140 people in connection with protests and demonstrations.
West Bengal:
360 people protesting against the controversial law have been arrested so far in West Bengal
In Howrah district's Domjur area, National Highway 6 was blocked as protesters set tyres ablaze.
Assam:
At least five people have died so far during protests against CAA in BJP-ruled northeastern state of Assam.
While four of the deceased - Sam Stafford (16), Dipanjal Das (19), Abdul Amin (23) and Ishwar Nayak (25) succumbed to injuries caused by police firing, Azizul Hoque (45) died after his truck was set on fire by unidentified miscreants.
The Assam Police has so far arrested 175 people and detained 1,460 protesters for indulging in violent agitations across the Northeastern state.
Curfew was imposed across Assam on December 11 and lifted on December 17.
Broadband as well as mobile internet services were suspended on the evening of December 11, and were restored on December 17 and 20 respectively.
Karnataka:
Two people - Jaleel Kudroli (49) and Nausheen (23)- were killed in police firing, and 20 police personnel were reportedly injured, during protests in Mangalore city of Karnataka.
The violence had also led to the imposition of curfew (Section 144 of CrPC) in the coastal town for three days.
Mobile internet services were suspended in Dakshina Kannada district on December 20 for 48 hours following the violence.
Bihar:
Around 11 people, including two policemen, were injured in "cross-firing" in Bihar during a bandh called by Rashtriya Janata Dal on December 21 against CAA.
As many as 13 people were arrested and 1,550 were taken into preventive custody in 38 districts in connection with the bandh.
Kerala:
Three people were injured during a clash between Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and Students' Federation of India (SFI) at Sree Kerala Varma College over CAA.
Eight journalists from Kerala covering the anti-citizenship law protest were detained by the Mangalore police.
Over 300 people were detained by state police during an anti-CAA Hartal in Kerala.
Tripura:
At least 40 CPI-M activists were injured on Tuesday when they were allegedly attacked by BJP workers during a protest rally at Udaipur in Tripura.
Earlier, few civilians and at least two police personnel had sustained injuries during protests at Belonia.
Tripura Police arrested a few hundred protesters of the Joint Movement against CAB (JMACAB) for blocking the road leading to the secretariat in Agartala on December 11. Major indigenous parties, forums and students’ groups joined hands to form the JMACAB.
Internet services were suspended for two days from December 10 to December 12.
Madhya Pradesh:
Six protesters and 20 police personnel sustained injuries during protests in Madhya Pradesh on December 17.
Around 35 people have been arrested in connection with the "violent protests" against the contentious Act.
Curfew was imposed in parts of Jabalpur, while internet was suspended for six hours in Bhopal.
Telangana:
Scores of protesters including 50 students of the University of Hyderabad were taken into preventive custody in different parts of the city on December 19 as they were planning to hold protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.
CPI National Secretary K. Narayana, former party MP Azeez Pasha, CPI State Secretary Chada Venkat Reddy and TJS president M. Kodandaram were also among those arrested by the police.
- Net loss
Apart from the loss of lives, the protests when combined with curfews, bandhs and internet shutdowns have left a dent on the economy as well, apart from damage to public property.
According to an estimate presented by Assam tourism department, the state has faced a loss of over Rs 400 crore revenue collection in the month of December alone following anti-CAA protests by general public and curfew imposed by the state government, apart from internet suspension.
"The main tourism season of the state starts from the month of November and continues till the month of January. A total of 4,504 foreign tourists had visited Assam during the month of December last year and around 4.25 lakh domestic tourists had visited the state during the period," said Assam Tourism Development Corporation Chairman Jayanta Malla Baruah.
Countries such as US, UK, Israel, Canada and Singapore issued travel advisories to their citizens to “exercise caution” or avoid travel to northeastern states.
Hotels near Kaziranga National Park, and Meghalaya’s capital Shillong witnessed cancellations of bookings.
Similar losses have been reported from several tourist destinations across the country.
Indian Railways have lost property worth Rs 90 crore, with Eastern Railways - mostly spread across West Bengal - alone accounting for 80% of those losses pegged at Rs 72.19 crore.
South Eastern Railways lost property worth Rs 12.75 crore, followed by North Eastern Frontier Railways that lost Rs 2.98 crore in damages.
Chabua railway station in Assam’s Dibrugarh was set on fire, followed by the Panitola railway station in Tinsukia district.
Railways have filed a total of 85 FIRs over violence that reportedly led to the injury of a dozen employees.
Overall 40 major trains were suspended in view of the violence.
Rail services in Tinsukia, Lumding and major part of Rangiya division of the Northeast Frontier Railways were in complete suspension.
Train services beyond Guwahati were also not in operation.
At Krishnapur station in Murshidabad district of West Bengal, a number of empty trains were set on fire. Lalgola station was ransacked and its railway tracks were set ablaze. The agitators vandalised Sujnipara station - also in Murshidabad district - and set fire to railway tracks at Harishchandrapur station in neighbouring Malda.
Thousands of cab and motorbike drivers plying their vehicles under app-based aggregators like Ola, Uber and Rapido have been the worst affected by the suspension of internet services, particularly in Guwahati city and in 10 other violence-hit districts of Assam.
Similarly, mobile application-based food delivery services like Swiggy, Uber Eats and Zomato have also been badly hit following the
internet shut down.
- Political visits cancelled
A meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Guwahati, as part of India-Japan summit scheduled to be held on December 15, was postponed.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah's visit to Shillong in Meghalaya on December 15 was cancelled.
Bangladesh foreign minister AK Abdul Momen, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan also cancelled their visit to India.
- Prominent figures arrested/detained
Akhil Gogoi:
Assam-based RTI activist and peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, who was leading anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in the state, was detained by local police at Jorhat on December 12.
He was later handed over to NIA and a court here sent him to 10 days custody of the agency on December 17. He was taken to New Delhi the same day for questioning. The NIA has lodged a case under sections 120B, 124A, 153A, 153B of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 18 and Section 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amendment Act (UAPAA).
The charges pertain to criminal conspiracy, sedition, promoting enmity between groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language etc., assertions against national integrity, support to terrorist organization etc.
Sadaf Jafar:
Sadaf Jafar, an Uttar Pradesh-based Congress worker, social activist, and an actress, was arrested during a demonstration against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Lucknow. Before her arrest, she had posted critical videos accusing the police of inaction during clashes. She has accused police of assaulting her in custody.
Ramchandra Guha:
Historian Ramachandra Guha was dragged by police mid-interview as he was detained along with dozens in Bengaluru on December 19 during a protest against the Citizenship law.
The 61-year-old was participating in a protest at the Town Hall in the city where Section 144 or a ban on large gatherings was enforced last ahead protests.
Support grows
Despite police action against those registering their protest against the contentious law, support continues to grow for the cause.
As many as 38 educational institutes across India erupted in protest against the CAA on December 17.
Across the world, the Indian diaspora is lending its support to protests in India against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) by organising rallies in the countries they are living in.
Also read: Paramilitary forces, drones keep vigil in UP for Friday prayers
On December 21, around 300 students and academicians from various universities in the Netherlands, including the University of Leiden, University of Groningen, and Erasmus University, protested at The Hague against the CAA and the NRC by peacefully assembling in front of the Indian embassy.
Also read: MP: Minor girl allegedly raped inside bus, 2 arrested
