Mumbai: Banners come up in housing societies in suburbs backing CAA

MUMBAI: In a show of support for the Centre’s amended citizenship rules, certain housing societies in Mumbai and Thane have begun to display banners endorsing CAA, NRC and NPR. The sentiment is fuelled, some say, by the prolonged dharna against CAA-NRCNPR in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh.
Posters are visible in Gujarati-dominated Mulund, Borivli and Thane, and messages are being circulated on a few society WhatsApp groups. Plus, pro-CAA citizens in Bhayander have decided to take out a rally in Bhayander on Sunday to back CAA.
A couple of pro-CAA banners are strung on both gates of Shree Rasraj Heights, a highrise at Borivli West. The 17-storey building houses Gujarati and Jain members.
The society management was not available for comment when a TOI correspondent visited on Saturday. But one resident, Dipti Bhavik Shah said, “Yes, we are silently making a strong statement. If opponents of these laws can hold rallies and dharnas, can we not at least put up banners? Citizenship has several benefits. Outsiders keep coming to India without fear of being stopped. Why are their native countries not developed so they don’t feel the need to migrate? I agree some Indians will be inconvenienced by CAA too, but things will settle down in a few months.”
In Thane, a residential complex, Garden Enclave in Vasant Vihar, has expressed support to CAA-NRC and put a poster on its gate declaring its affiliation. Office-bearers of the society said there has been a lot of “misleading information” about CAA, and they felt the need to voice support. “Core members of our society committee decided to do so as we feel the issue has been politicised and given a religious angle on social media. The idea is not to (merely) put up a banner but to encourage healthy discussion among residents. We are also planning to hold a session to give more information about the Act,” said Viraj Deshpande, chairman of Garden Enclave Federation.
Organiser of the Bhayander residents’ rally, Suresh Patel of NGO Aadhaar Seva Sanstha, said they felt the need to endorse the “positive Act by the Centre in the face of anti-CAA sentiment.” “Ours is a non-political organisation so we will not carry party flags. We have prepared banners favouring the new laws.” he said. The Bhayander rally will start from Maxus Mall police chowky at 10am, onward to MTNL and 90 Ft Road and end at 11am.
Residents and shop-owners of a building on Babasaheb Ambedkar Road, Mulund West, received a video in Gujarati on their society WhatsApp group advocating CAA and NRC. The voiceover said, “I went to meet an old friend. The building watchman made me wait, opened a register and made me write my name, mobile number, time, number of the flat I wanted to visit, purpose, and took my autograph. He asked where I was from and called my friend’s flat to verify. It was after my friend approved I was allowed to enter the building. The process took 5 minutes. I realised that to meet an old friend, I have to provide basic information for the safety of that society. So if government seeks information from people who come from other countries and settle here, what is wrong in that... I support CAA, I support NRC.”