TAMIL NADU
AS waves of protest arose in the country against the draconian Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) over the past week, Secular Democratic Front (SDF) led by the DMK had organised a rally in Chennai to join the cause and to expose the subservient role of the ruling AIADMK to the BJP in the centre, which has supported the Act.
Chennai police had denied permission to the rally on flimsy grounds and a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) was also filed before the Madras High Court to prevent the rally. A Division Bench of the High Court heard the case on December 22, Sunday, and ruled “In a democratic country, a peaceful demonstration cannot be prevented as it is the backbone of the democratic set up.” Finally, the Bench said that “in the event of the political parties proceeding with the agitation despite refusal of police permission, there shall be an interim direction to the police that the entire area be videographed and drone technology can also be used  for the purpose of recording the demonstration so that the liability can be foisted on the leaders and not the followers.”
Terming such a direction from the Bench as victory, the DMK-led SDF went ahead with the rally on  Monday, December 23, as scheduled despite the refusal of the police. The mammoth rally started at Thalamuthu- Natarajan (martyrs of Anti-Hindi agitation) building at Egmore, Chennai, went through Langs Garden Road, Halls Road and culminated at Rajarathinam Stadium in Rukmini Lakshmipathy Road.
Besides the DMK president MK Stalin, leaders such as G Ramakrishnan, K Balakrishnan (CPI-M), P Chidambaram, KS Alagiri (Congress), Vaiko (MDMK), R Muthrasan (CPI), Thol Thirumavalavan (VCK), K Veeramani (DK), MH Jawahirullah (MNMK),  Khader Mohideen (IUML) ER Easwaran (Kongu Makkal Katchi) and Thamimun Ansari (MNJK) led the rally at the forefront, as members of parliament and assembly followed. The members of these political parties and their mass organisations participated in large numbers raising slogans against the CAA and central and state governments accusing that they are tearing apart the constitution of India. It took more than an hour to cross a point.
Upon peaceful conclusion of this mammoth rally at Rajarathnam Stadium, the leaders and the marchers raised slogans for more than ten minutes against the Act, attacks on the democratic rights of the people, high handedness of the police personnel across the country on youth and students of various universities when they were standing against this draconian Act.
At the end, while thanking the participants for their enthusiasm and discipline in making the rally peaceful and successful, MK Stalin warned the ruling parties of the state and the centre that if this draconian Act is not withdrawn forthwith, the SDF allies will  decide further course of action. It will also invite other non-political, social organisations who are opposed to this Act to take forward the struggle, he said. He also underlined that this rally is only the beginning to a series of agitations in the days to come.
Meanwhile, on December 24, the City Police has registered cases against MK Stalin and other leaders of SDF for violating the rules in taking out the rally despite the refusal of police permission.
(VB Ganesan)

MAHARASHTRA

SUCH huge demonstrations took place in Maharashtra after a long time. Tens of thousands of people from all walks of life, and hailing from all religions, castes, creeds and communities, thronged the roads of all major cities of Maharashtra on December 19. Particularly massive actions took place in Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Solapur and many other cities. What was most significant was that a huge proportion of the participants were young women and men. They all came to denounce the RSS-BJP regime led by Modi and Shah for its anti-constitutional and communal conspiracies as manifested in the CAA, NRC and NPR.
A very broad spectrum of Left, democratic and secular political parties, mass organisations and NGOs came together in unprecedented unity to organise the December 19 protests. Several prominent actors, directors, writers, intellectuals and cultural artistes joined these demonstrations. The Mumbai action was held in the historic August Kranti Maidan, from where Mahatma Gandhi had announced the beginning of the Quit India Movement on August 8, 1942.
The CPI(M) participated in strength in these actions held all over Maharashtra, in most of the district and even in tehsil headquarters. Prominent among the Party leaders who participated in different places were Polit Bureau member Subhashini Ali, Central Committee members Ashok Dhawale, Narasayya Adam, Mahendra Singh, Mariam Dhawale and several state secretariat and state committee members.
The campaign continued even after December 19 in various places. On December 23, a large public meeting of thousands of people was organised by the CPI(M) Eastern Suburban Mumbai committee at Sonapur in the Bhandup area of Mumbai. It was addressed by CJP founder Teesta Setalvad, AIKS president Ashok Dhawale, CITU state vice presidents Sayeed Ahmed and Vivek Monteiro, while it was presided over by Ali Ahmed.    
(Ashok Dhawale)

TRIPURA

PEOPLE gathered in hundreds to join the protest rally against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) at Paradise Chowmohoni, at the call of the Left Front (LF). The rally was addressed by LF convenor Bijan Dhar, CPI(M) state secretary Gautam Das, CPI state secretary Ranjit Majumdar, RSP leader Gopal Das, Raghunath Sarkar of AIFB and Manik Pal of CPI (ML).
Even as the Tripura  state government is mum about the nefarious design of CAA to create  a division between tribal and Bengali people, the leaders of LF questioned the central government for passing the bill in a rush, an uncalled for practice in democracy. They said that people across the country have come onto the streets to voice their dissent and the government has resorted to the use of brute force against them. The LF stated that the police wouldn’t be able be put the whole country in the jail. They said that people of both tribal and Bengali communities will fight together to defeat CAA.
The LF stated that the NRC is very much linked with the CAA and that in Assam, thousands have been put in detention camps. The leaders pointed out that the CAA and NRC are part of the RSS's agenda of Hindutva and called upon the people to fight unitedly.
While protest rallies took place in all the districts of Tripura, BJP goons attacked a rally in Belonia town in South Tripura district. CPI(M) subdivision committee member Naresh Tripura and a few Party workers, along with a few police personnel escorting the rally, were injured by stones pelted at them by hoodlums.
(Rahul Sinha)

WEST BENGAL


THOUSANDS of people marched in the streets of Kolkata on December 19, at the call of 17 Left parties and allies against CAA and attacks on constitution. As part of the all India call of Left parties, a central rally started from Ramlila Maidan and marched to Park Circus. People from Kolkata and nearby districts participated in this rally. Even before the rally started, roads were blocked due to huge crowd. The rally witnessed participation from different sections of the people, including large number of students and youth. The news of arrest of Left leaders in Delhi and police attacks in different parts of the country had already reached even before the rally started. That ignited the militant mood and slogans were raised against authoritarian attacks of Modi government. The rally raised the voice of unity among people and against designs of communal polarisation.
In the public meeting after the procession, CPI (M) state secretary Suryakanta Misra said, Modi government has unleashed one after another attack on people. Kashmir is under seize for four months. They are out to throttle democratic protests. They are trying to divide people on religious lines. NRC and NPR are designed for that.
CPI(M) Polit Bureau member Md Salim said, RSS-BJP’s design to divide people will be resisted. The British tried the same method and failed. The fight for defending constitution has attracted Hindus and Muslims, students in universities, other sections of the people.
Speakers called upon the people to make the general strike of January 8, a total success. Through this strike action, broader unity of the people will be established, they asserted.
Rallies and processions were organised in the districts too.

XXX
DELHI

JAMIA university witnessed massive participation in the protests since the beginning of the struggle against the CAA(Constitutional Amendment Act) and the proposed NRC. Another massively attended meeting was held on December 22 at the Jamia university, organised by the Jamia students and other groups, which was addressed by Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the CPI(M).

Yechury greeted the Jamia students and the university community for leading the battle against highly exclusionary CAA. He pointed out that the PM Modi in a rally held in Delhi has spoken bundle of lies on the CAA and the NRC. Yechury pointed out that both Shah and Modi are trying to befool the people. He said that Modi mentioned there is no word on NRC since his (Modi’s) government took over, however the presidential address in the parliament in 2019 explicitly mentions about it and then the home minister’s statement in Lok Sabha on November 9 also states that, “……we will bring NRC across the country and not a single infiltrator will be spared.”

Yechury emphatically said that the PM must call a special session of the parliament and there he should state that the NRC will not be implemented in the country.
He coined the slogan which was reverberated with great support, “Modi Shah saavdhan, ham bachaiyenge Hindustan”(beware Modi-Shah duo , we will protect Hindustan).
A cross section of the people attended this meeting including teachers, writers, poets and common people of the neighbourhood.

In another meeting called by a forum called, ‘Delhites for Constitution’, on December 22 a protest demonstration was held at the central part of Rajiv Chowk, New Delhi. This forum comprises teachers, students, young people, women, civil society groups etc.  This demonstration was addressed by Brinda Karat, Polit Bureau member of the CPI(M) and Jayati Ghosh, Professor JNU, Delhi. The protesters came from different walks of life.

Brinda Karat castigated at Modi and ridiculed him for asking the citizens to respect the mandate of the parliament. She said Modi should respect the mandate of the Indian Constituion, which is being shattered by him. The same constitution that made him the prime minister should be protected at all costs, she said. She further indicted the Modi government for using police to cow down voices in the country especially that of the students and people belonging to the Muslim community. This issue of CAA and the proposed NRC effect every Indian citizen and must be opposed she exhorted.

Uttar Pradesh
A STRONG protest demonstration against the CAA was held on December 19 at Lucknow by the Left and other democratic parties. Despite the fact that the government and administration tried all their efforts to stop the demonstration but the people turned out in large numbers and participated in it. The protesters marched on the streets of Lucknow and reached Parivartan Chowk and sat on a dharna there.
The Dharna was addressed by Hiralal Yadav, state secretary of CPI(M), Girish Sharma, state secretary of CPI, Juber Ahmad Quereshi, president of Loktantrik Janta Dal, Mohammad Salim from CPI(ML), Prem Nath Rai of CITU, Chandrashekhar from AITUC, Madhugarg from AIDWA, Vandana Mishra from ‘desh bachao,savindhan bachao’ and Lal Bahadur Singh, former president of Allahabad students union.

RAJASTHAN

ON December 19 on the call of Left Parties and other mass organisations along with other civil society groups a large mobilisation was held at Jaipur in Khasakothi and a procession was held to the district collector’s office. Ravinder Shukla from CPI(M), Narender Acharya from CPI, Mahender Chaudhary from CPI(ML), Iqbal Siddiqui from Jamait e Islami Hind, Akhil Chaudhary from PUCL, R C Sharma from Rajasthan Nagrik Manch spoke in the public meeting.

Similar demonstrations were held in Sikar, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Jhunjhunu, Nagaur Tonk, Kota, Alwar and Churu. In Sikar, a procession was held from Jatiya Bazar to the DC office. A public meeting was held at the collector’s office which was addressed by Amra Ram, state secretary of CPI(M) and other leaders.

HARYANA

STRONG protest demonstrations were held in the state of Haryana against the CAA and proposed NRC. Number of organisations organised these protests that include the Left Parties, mass organisations, in a few districts Swaraj India Party also joined, intellectuals, educationists, social workers and other sections of the people.
In Fatehabad a procession was taken out in the city which was led by Surender Singh, state secretary of the CPI(M). He addressed the public meeting and severely indicted the BJP for polarising the people on communal lines. One of the major reasons to do this, he said, is to dissuade the people from their real issues like employment, rising prices of essential commodities and deep recession in the economy. He also called on the people to link these struggles to the January 8, 2020 proposed strike of the workers in the country and make it successful.

In Bhiwani hundreds of activists of Left Parties, Swaraj India and Labour Kranti Morcha held a demonstration. In Hisar the Left Parties held a demonstration and distributed handbills on CAA. In Rohtak, CPI(M), Disha Chattra Manch and other student and mass organisations held a procession. Before that a public meeting was held at Chotu Ram Park which was addressed by Mahabir Narwal, agriculture scientist, Rajender Chaudhary, former president of teachers union, Jai Bhagwan, state secretariat member of CPI(M) and Vinod, district secretary of the Party.
Similar protest demonstrations were held by the Left parties in Jind, Panipat, Yamunanagar, Sonepat, Panchkula, Kurukshetra, Kaithal and Faridabad. In Faridabad hundreds of trade union activists also joined these demonstrations.