Police Beat Up Protesting Indian Students Yesterday – Is This The New Face Of Democracy
The uprising of Indian students against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has reached new heights – not because they have aggravated their protests, but because the state machinery has been ruthless in trying to stop them.
Fresh protests swept India on Monday, a day after police entered the campus of Jamia Milia University in New Delhi and injured hundreds of students who were expressing opposition to the country’s controversial new citizenship law.
Students have said that the Delhi police officers beat them with batons, hurled insults, and fired tear gas canisters inside the campus after a march outside the university gates turned violent.
New demonstrations took place in at least 17 cities on Monday in various colleges to stand in solidarity with the students of Jamia.
#DevelopingStory | The number of student protests across campuses in India have gone up since morning. Here is the latest situation.#CAA2019 #CAAProtests #CitizenshipAct
Watch live https://t.co/3r7TEZn7rS pic.twitter.com/1U9jpY2DqK
— NDTV (@ndtv) December 16, 2019
While social media is bursting with outrage over the actions of the government and police, what has become noticeable is the response from Bollywood.
In the recent past, celebrities have always been quick to praise the government under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, hailing him for any success that India sees.
But as the country burns, few have been vocal about the citizenship act and only some have raised their voice against the atrocities against the students of the country. Prominent among those who have spoken out are Parineeti Chopra and Raj Kumar Rao.
If this is what’s gonna happen everytime a citizen expresses their view, forget #CAB, we should pass a bill and not call our country a democracy anymore! Beating up innocent human beings for speaking their mind? BARBARIC.
— Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) December 17, 2019
The protests are part of a wave of unrest that has gripped India following the passage of the citizenship law on December 11th. The measure was a priority for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who won reelection in May and has moved to implement his party’s agenda of emphasizing Hindu supremacy in India.
The citizenship act has introduced religion as a criterion for nationality for the first time in India and has created an expedited path toward citizenship for migrants who belong to six religions — excluding Islam, the faith practiced by over 200 million Indians.
India’s favorite patriot actor, Akshay Kumar has been embroiled in a controversy for liking a Tweet supporting the violence against the protesting Indian students and quickly said that it was a mistake, but not before #BoycottCanadianKumar caught trend.
