ON January 30, on the martyrdom day of Mahatma Gandhi a human chain was supposed to be held from Rajghat to Rajghat in Delhi forming a full circle. The plan was to hold the chain from Rajghat, Lal Qila, Jama Masjid, Delhi Gate, Golcha, Shanti Van, Kodiya Pul and back to Rajghat. The call was given by JEJAA, ‘Hum Bhaathke Log’ and ‘Aman Biradhari’. However, the chain was disrupted by the police, though, several human chains were held in points and junctions mentioned above.

Hundreds of people from all walks of life joined the Human Chain to demand repeal of the anti constitutional Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens throughout the country and NPR despite widespread police repression and arrest of hundreds of people. The Delhi Police tried their best by deploying more than 3,000 police and para-military forces but they failed to stop the Human Chain, which was formed by hundreds of people joining at Raj Ghat, Lal Kila, Jama Masjid and Delhi Gate, Golcha, Shanthi Van and Kodiya Pul.

The leaders of the opposition parties and eminent personalities including Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Praksh Karat, Brinda Karat, Kavita Krishnan, Yogendra Yadav, Prasanth Bhushan, S R Pillai, Neelotpal Basu, Hannan Mollah, Tapan Sen, Hemalatha, Malini Bhattacharya, A R Sindhu, Marium Dhawale, Rahul Roy, Dinesh Abrol, Vijoo Krishnan, P Krishnaprasad, Pushpendra Grewal, K M Tiwari, Anjali Bharadwaj, Anurag Saxena, Sidheswar Shukla among others participated in the Human Chain.   

At 5.17 pm the time when Mahatma Gandhi was shot dead, a two minutes silence was observed at Rajghat. The national anthem was sung after that. Later a delegation led by Sitaram Yechury visited the Rajghat memorial and paid his tributes to the Mahatma. It is interesting to note that the police which was not allowing the formation of Human Chain outside the Rajghat and other places could not stop a section of the people from forming a chain at the memorial inside the Rajghat. A large section of the people especially women formed a Human Chain there.

The police arrested D Raja, Tapan Sen, Yogendra Yadav, Prasanth Bhushan(advocate),  M L Malkotia, A R Sindhu, Vijoo Krishnan,  N K Shukla, Vikram Singh, Mayuk Biswas, Archana Prasad, Pushpendra Grewal, K M Tiwari, Anurag Saxena, Avik Saha  and many others. Around 350 activists were arrested including women and detained in Hari Nagar Stadium.  They were released later at night.

The working group of Jan Ekta Jan Adhikar Andolan (JEJAA) strongly condemned the firing on students by armed goon-Gopal Sharma in front of large number of police personnel. JEJAA demanded immediate dismissal and arrest of the state minister for finance-Anurag Thakur who had provoked to kill those protesting against CAA. He should be booked under the provision of treason, was demanded by JEJAA.  

JEJAA congratulated all those who have participated in the Human Chain and made the peaceful protest successful. JEJAA will continue the struggle and make future plan of action till the regressive CAA-NRC-NRP are withdrawn by the Narendra Modi government.