THE Tamil Nadu Platform for People's Unity (TNPPU) had organised a historic human chain programme across the state with a participation of over 40 lakh people from all sections of the society, protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Population Register (NPR) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), on January 30.

The TNPPU organised a convention on December 26 at Saidapet in Chennai, against CAA, NRC and NPR in which Prakash Karat, P Chidambaram, Kanimozhi, Thol Thirumavalavan, Professor Jawahirullah of MNMK and other leaders participated. Various sections of people attended the meeting and the good media coverage ensured that the message of the convention reached lakhs of people in the state.

The TNPPU gave a call to all Muslim parties from various minority organisations in this state to join hands and all the Muslim parties’ leaders unanimously accepted the leadership of TNPPU to take forward the struggle against CAA, NPR and NRC in the future. They have arrived at concrete decisions to conduct the movement in various forms in the state.

More than 25 lakh pamphlets were printed and distributed throughout the state from January 26 to January 30 in more than 500 centers. The members reached out to lakhs of houses, shops and other establishments. Leaders from various political parties and eminent personalities in the state also participated in the campaign.

The campaign also helped in mobilisation of people for the historic 600 km-long human chain against the CAA, NRC and NPR, conducted on January 30, in commemoration of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Day. 

In Chennai, a 38-kilometre long human chain was organised. The city had never witnessed such a mega human chain movement. There was no break in the chain and in most places it was a human wall.  People carried nothing except placards expressing their opposition to the CAA, NPR, NRC; the banner of TNPPU and the national flag. The TNPPU had urged the leaders of the parties and groups participating in the human chain movement not to carry anything other than this, which was accepted by everyone.

Prominent political leaders like KS Alagiri, president of Tamil Nadu Congress committee, K Balakrishnan, CPI(M) state secretary, N Ram from The Hindu news daily, Vasanti Devi and other leaders from different political parties and organisations participated in the moment.

Madurai, Trichy, Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Salem, Cuddalore and all other districts  in the state have also witnessed long human chains in which tens of thousands of people participated including leaders from political parties and mass organisations .

The small towns have also witnessed human chains in which thousands of people from all walks of life irrespective of caste, creed, religion etc participated. It is noteworthy to mention that the participation of the minorities, especially the Muslims was very large.

In a most disciplined way, the entire movement was conducted throughout Tamil Nadu under the banner of TNPPU which used social media platforms effectively to oppose the NRC, NPR and CAA.

Most of the media gave good publicity to the movement and The Hindu reported a participation of 1.5 lakh people in the Chennai human chain programme. More than 40 lakh people participated in the human chains across the state.

The entire human chain movement became the talk of the town for a few days and created history of sorts in the annals of Tamil Nadu.