Over 300 artists including some famous names of Bollywood like Naseeruddin Shah, Ratna Pathak Shah, Javed Jaffery issued an open letter recently expressing their solidarity with the students who have been protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The signatories claimed that they are ending their ‘silence’ and will stand for a ‘secular and inclusive vision of India.’
“We stand in solidarity with the students and others who are protesting and speaking out against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and against the National Register of Citizens (NRC). We salute their collective cry for upholding the principles of the Constitution of India, with its promise of a plural and diverse society,” the letter stated.
“Those of us who have been quiet in the past, our silence ends now. We will be clear-sighted in our dissent. Like our freedom fighters before us, we stand for a secular and inclusive vision of India,” it further added.
Moreover, the signatories also claimed that the indigenous identity and livelihood of the people of the Northeast and Kashmir is quite threatened.
They also oppose the shutdown of internet services and the killings of CAA protestors.
“In Assam and the Northeast, and in Kashmir, the indigenous identity and livelihood is threatened as never before, and we will not condone it. The response of the government and law-enforcement agencies to the distress of its citizens has been callous and high-handed,” the letter stated.
“India has seen the most Internet shutdowns of any democracy in the world. Police brutality has left hundreds injured, including many students from Jamia Milia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University. Several citizens have been killed while protesting,” it added.