Coimbatore: As the sit-in against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Registry of Citizens (NRC) and the National People’s Register (NPR) entered the second day on Thursday, several hundred women flocked to the protest venue that was christened Coimbatore’s Shaheen Bagh to join the proceedings.
“This is our emotion,” said 46-year-old Shakeela Kadar pointing to 1000-odd hijab-clad women sitting under a canopy and raising slogans at the Masjid ground at Aathupalam Junction in the city.
Like most of the women there, Shakila had come to the protest venue after finishing household chores and sending children to school. “Many of us are earning members and have children, who go to school and colleges. Yet, we have come here. We are fighting for our soil. We need our soil,” she said.
Shameema Habeeb, 54, another protester, said, “The BJP government has turned ordinary public into protesters.”
Like Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, it is the emotion of women that leads the anti-CAA protest in the city. The sit-in began on Wednesday night following a massive rally against the CAA, NPR and NRC, and the state government, which the protesters said needed to pass a resolution against the draconian laws.
The women, who have gathered from Kuniyamuthur, Podanur, Karumbukkadai, Oppanakkara Street and other areas in the city, said they were determined to conduct the protest peacefully and with discipline. Shameema said, “We will protest peacefully in Gandhian way till they repeal the act. We won’t create any situation for police to intervene.”
Coimbatore’s Shaheen Bagh comes after several protests and rallies conducted by the Federation of all Jamaths and Muslim organizations in the city over the past two months. Before Wednesday’s rally, they had taken out a massive rally on February 2 from Ukkadam till south taluk office. Around 25,000 people had turned up for that rally.
Speaking of the timing of the indefinite sit-in, Shabeena Shamsudeen, 39, another protester, said, “We have been staging protests at several places, but there has been no solution. We have come here to find a solution. We will not budge till CAA, NPR and NRC are repealed.”
Men at the venue said they have foregone their day’s pay to participate in the protest. Mohammed Ibrahim, 56, said, “I work as a coolie at a glass works shop. My pay is Rs500 a day. But I have come here, as my citizenship is more important that a day’s pay.”
Mohammed Ashraf, 18, a Class XII student, said he was afraid of the future. “I’m afraid whether we would remain citizens of the country if the CAA, NPR and NRC are implemented.”
While the protest began with around 2,000 people on Thursday morning, women started pouring in as the day progressed.
“This is our emotion,” said 46-year-old Shakeela Kadar pointing to 1000-odd hijab-clad women sitting under a canopy and raising slogans at the Masjid ground at Aathupalam Junction in the city.
Like most of the women there, Shakila had come to the protest venue after finishing household chores and sending children to school. “Many of us are earning members and have children, who go to school and colleges. Yet, we have come here. We are fighting for our soil. We need our soil,” she said.
Shameema Habeeb, 54, another protester, said, “The BJP government has turned ordinary public into protesters.”
Like Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh, it is the emotion of women that leads the anti-CAA protest in the city. The sit-in began on Wednesday night following a massive rally against the CAA, NPR and NRC, and the state government, which the protesters said needed to pass a resolution against the draconian laws.
The women, who have gathered from Kuniyamuthur, Podanur, Karumbukkadai, Oppanakkara Street and other areas in the city, said they were determined to conduct the protest peacefully and with discipline. Shameema said, “We will protest peacefully in Gandhian way till they repeal the act. We won’t create any situation for police to intervene.”
Coimbatore’s Shaheen Bagh comes after several protests and rallies conducted by the Federation of all Jamaths and Muslim organizations in the city over the past two months. Before Wednesday’s rally, they had taken out a massive rally on February 2 from Ukkadam till south taluk office. Around 25,000 people had turned up for that rally.
Speaking of the timing of the indefinite sit-in, Shabeena Shamsudeen, 39, another protester, said, “We have been staging protests at several places, but there has been no solution. We have come here to find a solution. We will not budge till CAA, NPR and NRC are repealed.”
Men at the venue said they have foregone their day’s pay to participate in the protest. Mohammed Ibrahim, 56, said, “I work as a coolie at a glass works shop. My pay is Rs500 a day. But I have come here, as my citizenship is more important that a day’s pay.”
Mohammed Ashraf, 18, a Class XII student, said he was afraid of the future. “I’m afraid whether we would remain citizens of the country if the CAA, NPR and NRC are implemented.”
While the protest began with around 2,000 people on Thursday morning, women started pouring in as the day progressed.
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