Several Indian organisations stage demonstrations in London in support of CAA

Several Indian organisations on Saturday gathered outside Parliament Square in London to extend support to the recently enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

The demonstrators voiced that the Indian government has done a "brilliant job" to ensure that the minorities in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan are being taken care of in the "right manner and shown humanitarian kindness and concern."

Responding over the anti-CAA protests that have gripped the entire country, Praveen Patel, former chairman of Sardar Patel Memorial Society in the UK, said, "I think it is one of the most foolish things that are taking place in India at the moment, especially the stone-pelting crowds who are on a rampage. They are only exhibiting violence through their actions and that is what they stand for. We are peaceful people and we believe in peaceful protests get across our points of view."

Voicing similar sentiments, Dr Malissa Kapoor, a British citizen, born and raised in London but married to a Hindu Indian, said that as a British citizen, she entirely believed in the right to human life and people being able to practice their religion.

She said, "It talks about providing citizenship to the refugees who have faced the most horrific circumstances in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan", adding that "such people have lived in fear of their lives since decades."

"Their daughters have been abducted, raped and killed; their husbands, brothers have been beheaded; their homes and businesses have been burnt down. "So, I am here to stand in support of these people and particularly those who couldn't manage to escape to India. In the absence of the law, they classified as illegal immigrants and were deprived of their basic human rights. So people are benefitting from this legislation," Kapoor stressed.

"I completely disagree with the protests because the CAA has nothing to do with the people who are already citizens of India. The act is not at all discriminatory. It particularly gives protection to the religiously persecuted minorities," she added.

The demonstrators further noted that it was important to call for the demonstration as there was a lot of misinformation peddled following the enactment of the legislation that promises Indian citizenship to all non-Muslim minorities who face persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

"The youth has been protesting based on certain narratives put forth by a certain section of people in India. So it was very important to bring an entirely different perspective as we in London get to interact with Pakistani Hindus, Bangladeshi Hindus. CAA is an act of inclusion and not exclusion," said Shweta Bhatia, one of the organisers of the demonstrations.

The controversial Act has triggered countrywide protests since its enactment on 12 December 2019. The Amendment benefits Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Christian and Parsi refugees from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh who sought refuge in India before 2015.