'Are we not citizens of this country,' asks Kolkata's 'Shaheen Bagh' as CAA protests continue
Kolkata, Jan 12: Protests in the city against the amended Citizenship Act has broadened the outlook of many people who had stopped interacting with their friends from other communities over recent socio-political developments in the country.
One among them is Muzaffar Ali, a garments trader from Beniapukur area, who had felt hesitant to discuss with his friends from other communities about certain "sensitive issues" and "felt ostracised".
Ali, in his 40s, now participates in anti-CAA rallies and an indefinite demonstration by women in Park Circus area, being touted as Kolkata's 'Shaheen Bagh', against the new citizenship law.
The businessman, who participated in one such rally at Zakaria Street recently, said he discovered a new side of the city, as strangers from other communities, many of them in their youth, turned up in droves at protests against the contentious law.
"From bright young boys and girls to social activists, writers and artistes, many people have assembled at a protest site in Park Circus and are giving speeches from a makeshift podium. This is a spontaneous, apolitical movement against CAA and NRC," Ali told PTI on Sunday.
Ali said he had never participated in similar rallies with people of other communities in the past.
"The outpour has made me realise the love and bonding among people and I have started to open up. My two school- going sons have told their friends from other communities that they will never part ways," he said.
Around 30 women have been staging a sit-in protest against CAA, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the National Population Register (NPR) in Park Circus since January 7 on the lines of the Shaheen Bagh protest, mainly led by Muslim women, in Delhi.
Nirufa Khatoon, one of the protesters, said, "I was born here. My grandfather was born here. During partition, my predecessors had opted to stay back in India as it is our motherland."
"But now, I am afraid that the BJP wants to take my right to live in my city. Are we not citizens of this country?" she said, vowing not to withdraw the stir till the Centre takes concrete steps to revoke CAA, NRC and NPR.
Another woman participant, Sabina said, "After several discussions, we had decided to begin the sit-in as the Muslim women, of all generations, expressed eagerness to take part in a dharna when our male family members were already out on the streets. Ours will be a peaceful protest."
Also present in the sit-in was Moutusi Banerjee, a former Calcutta University alumna who is working with a production house.
"I had first participated in a rally from Sealdah to Esplanade where thousands of people had raised slogans against CAA, NRC and NPR. Since then, I had been planning to join the Park Circus protest and finally, I am here," she said.
The women agitators have been joined by Ali and other men of the locality including Firoz Islam, a fruit-seller by profession.
"It has become my duty to be on the side of those who have left behind their work for a greater cause. I cannot stop my business as my earning depends on it. But, I can express my solidarity," Islam said.
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Youths, relying on Google Maps, drive vehicle into river in Kasaragod; rescued
Kasaragod: Two youths, who were on their way to a hospital using Google Maps to find their way, drove their car into a swollen river but had a miraculous escape as the vehicle got stuck to a tree in Kerala's northernmost Kasaragod district.
The visuals of Fire Force personnel pulling them to safety from the overflowing river in Pallanchi here the other day went viral on social media platforms on Sunday.
They could escape and contact the Fire Force personnel only because their vehicle, which was carried away by the water currents, got stuck in a tree.
The rescued youths said they were on their way to a hospital in neighbouring Karnataka in the wee hours the other day and were proceeding using Google Maps.
Abdul Rasheed, one of the youths, said Google Maps showed a narrow road and they drove their car through it.
"Using the vehicle's headlight, we felt that there was some water in front of us. But, we didn't see that there was a river on both sides and a bridge in the middle. There was also no sidewall for the bridge," he told a TV channel.
The car suddenly began to get carried away in the water currents but later got stuck in a tree on the shores of the river.
By this time, they managed to open the car door, come out of the vehicle and contacted the Fire Force personnel by sending them the location.
Later, Fire Force personnel rushed to the place and pulled out the two men to safety using ropes.
"We never thought that we could come back to life. We truly feel that it is a rebirth," Rasheed added.
Last month, a group of tourists from Hyderabad drove into a swollen stream near Kuruppanthara in Kottayam apparently after using Google Maps.
All four managed to escape unharmed due to the efforts of a nearby police patrol unit and local residents, but their vehicle was completely submerged.
Two #Kanhangad natives had a narrow escape on the #Pallanchi Forest road in #Kasaragod's #Kuttikol after their car fell into a river early morning on Thursday.
— Hate Detector 🔍 (@HateDetectors) June 27, 2024
The passengers M Abdul Rashid (35) and A Thashreef (36) said they met with the accident at 6 AM while heading towards a… pic.twitter.com/SMmJ58UBq3
