BIHAR government must clarify its stand on the NPR; it must issue a gazette notification to withdraw it; the government must also pass a resolution against the CAA. These were the foremost demands of a mass rally in Patna, held in Gandhi Ground on February 26, with the slogan of ‘save constitution, save citizenship’. Under the banner of ‘front against NPR-NRC-CAA’, this rally got an overwhelming response from the people; prominent social and political leaders participated in this rally.

Awadesh Kumar, state secretary of the CPI(M) asserted that this fight is also ideological; it is against the ideas and ideals of Godse, who killed Mahatma Gandhi. Speaking on the Shaheen Bagh protest, he said, this is a new form of opposition, where the women are reinforcing their right and reclaiming their space in the society. This is quite heartening and a big inspiration to the people. He said the Kerala CM was the first one to take an initiative against the CAA, and passed a resolution decrying it. The Bihar chief minister should also stand up to the people and pass a resolution for not implementing the NPR in the state. While standing to the demands of the movement, he said nobody can question our citizenship on the basis of our identity.

The rally was also addressed by Kanahayia Kumar, former president of JNUSU and leader of the CPI. He called upon the people to participate in the civil disobedience movement and said the present one against the CAA-NPR-NRC is similar to the one led by Gandhiji. He asked to people to observe one minute silence to condole the death of those killed in Delhi riots. Then he asked the people to sing the national anthem and said that the national anthem does not hail any religion, caste, gender, rather hails the people of India. But the NPR and NRC brought out by the BJP government targets the people and their unity.

He lambasted the BJP government for dividing the people and said this is a tried, tested and failed policy-‘divide and rule’. The British failed so would the present rulers, he asserted. Speaking on the grave danger of unemployment, he said the slogan should be ‘Bihar mange rozgaar, nahin chahiye NPR’ (Bihar demands employment and not NPR).

Tushar Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi also spoke on the occasion. He called upon the people to fight this second independence struggle. Reminding the people that Bihar has been one of the important centres where Mahatma Gandhi led the struggle for independence, he asked the people to participate in large numbers as their forefathers did during the freedom movement. He emphasised that the same Gandhi Ground was used by the Mahatma to lead struggle against hatred and gave the slogan of amity and peace. He said but the hate mongers did not understand it, and hit three bullets in the Mahatama’s chest. Likewise, he said the three-CAA-NPR-NRC are like three bullets in the chest of India and its ethos.

Another speaker to criticise the government was Kannan Gopinathan who left his civil services career after the abrogation of Article 370. He said that the present law is not to enable citizenship to the left out, rather it is a law for snatching it. Pointing out to the treacherous move of the government he said, if the government is serious to acknowledge that it will not implement NRC, then why it is going ahead with the NPR.

Medha Patkar, a social activist, also spoke in the rally. She said that it is the duty of every citizen to follow the constitution of the country. But now the leaders of the political parties in power are not following the principles laid down in the constitution. This is sad, she said. She asked the Nitish government to make it clear; whether it is with the BJP or with the people of the Bihar state. She called upon all the secular and democratic parties to come together and meet the challenge.

Satya Narayan Singh from CPI, B S Basanti from Ham Party, Mehboob Alam, MLA from CPI(ML), Abdurrahman, MLA from Arriya ,Shakeel Ahmad Khan, former president of JNUSU and Congress MLA , Shabnam Hashmi from Delhi,  Sadafjafar from Lucknow, Sayeed Shahnawaz from Jamia University Delhi, Manish Kumar from Patna University and Sareeka Chaudhary from JNU also spoke in the rally. The rally was also attended by SFI, DYFI and JMS activists in large number.