Hundreds of Indian students at various universities in London and elsewhere in the UK staged a noisy protest demonstration outside the Indian high commission on Wednesday evening, echoing concerns in India about the new citizenship amendment act (CAA).
The two-hour protest featuring Indian flags and placards with messages against the legislation followed similar recent protests in the University of Oxford and by the Indian Overseas Congress (UK) in London. Slogans were raised against the Indian government.
As traffic continued on the Strand and the police ensured order, the preamble of India’s Constitution was read out. The students, hailing from various parts of India, were joined by members and supporters of the South Asia Solidarity Group and others.
A statement by the India Society in the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and the South Asia Solidarity Group demanded the CAA’s repeal, scrapping of the National Register of Citizens, and an inquiry into reported police action in universities in India.
“We strongly condemn the Citizenship Amendment Act passed by the Indian parliament. We oppose the plans to implement the National Register of Citizens across the country. We stand in solidarity with protestors across India who are fighting brutal government repression in order to exercise their democratic rights,” the SOAS India Society and the group said.
The Indian high commission issued a brief note on the act, and the Ministry of Home Affairs’ Q & A, setting out its basics: “There has been a misinformation campaign. The CAA does not affect any Indian citizens, including Muslim citizens”.
The note says: “During the last six years, approximately 2830 Pakistani citizens, 912 Afghani citizens and 172 Bangladeshi citizens have been given Indian citizenship. Hundreds of them are from majority community of these three countries”.
“Such migrants continue to get Indian citizenship and shall also continue to get it if they fulfil the eligibility conditions already provided in the law for registration or naturalization”.
“About 14,864 Bangladeshi nationals were also granted Indian citizenship after incorporating more than fifty enclaves of Bangladesh into Indian territory post the boundary agreement between the two countries in 2014”.
The note mentions past instances when New Delhi made special provisions to accommodate the citizenship of foreigners of Indian origin who had to flee to India, including from Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Pakistan.
“The CAA does not target any religious community from abroad. It only provides a mechanism for some migrants who may otherwise have been called ‘illegal’ depriving them of opportunity to apply for Indian citizenship provided they meet certain conditions”, it adds.