01, Mar 2020 | SC GM

Mangaluru: Human rights activist Teesta Setalvad has opined that holding a systematic protest in an
organised manner, signature campaign and meeting elected representatives as delegates can stop union
government from implementing proposed Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register of
Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).
She was delivering a talk on CAA, NRC, NPR, jointly organised by ‘We The People’ and ‘Citizens Forum for
Mangaluru Development’ organisations, at the auditorium of Roshni Nilaya, Valencia, on Sunday, March 1.

Teesta said, ” the proposed Acts not only target Muslim community, but also affect the adivasis, dalits,
migrant labourers, nomadic tribes among others. If the on-going protests are not done in a systematic and
organised manner, it won’t fetch good result.”
Speaking about the on-going protests against CAA Teesta said, ” there has been an effort to target one
section of the community since long and people have been silent so far. With the move of implementing
CAA, the government has shown how it is indulged in divide and rule policy. Sensing the hidden agenda of
the BJP government, now people are coming out on streets. Such ghts against this unconstitutional move
of the government should be kept alive.”
Questioning the NPR exercise Teesta said, “we are not opposing the census as it is needed to count the total
population of the country, but when the UPA government took up NPR exercise, the place and date of birth
of one’s parents were not asked. Then, why such questions are being asked now?.”
“It is only up to 52 per cent people out of the total population of India, who may probably have a birth
certicate. The remaining 48 per cent do not have it. How is the government going to give them citizenship?
It is a formidable challenge to the people of our country,” Teesta stressed.
Placing an example of Assam government Teesta said that Assam has spent Rs 1,220 for implementing NRC
which has only 3.2 crore people. The government needs to spend over Rs 55,000 crore if it wants to
implement the same across the country. Instead of addressing the problems of unemployment, why the
government is spending such a huge amount for this unnecessary work,” she questioned and added that the
exercise is going to be a big blow to the economy of the country.

The original report may be read here.