Nationwide protests have erupted across India in response to the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), NPR reports. Tens of thousands of demonstrators reportedly took to the streets and university campuses across the country yesterday to protest the law, which, they believe, treats Muslims unfairly. The new law, passed last week by parliament, will see the Indian government ease naturalization proceedings exclusively for non-Muslim migrants from neighboring Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Bangladesh. Backers of the bill argue that it is intended to help asylum seekers and refugees fleeing religious persecution from the three predominantly Muslim nations. Critics are saying the bill violates the Indian constitution, which describes the country as a secular democratic republic. The mass protests come on the heels of violent clashes between police and student protesters on Sunday at the Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi. Witnesses say police stormed the campus with riot control weapons, including batons and tear gas, injuring more than 200 people, according to media reports. Some also allege that police officers sexually harassed female students during the raid. Demonstrators and student protesters in over 17 cities, including Mumbai, Bhopal, Jaipur, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Lucknow,…
Everything You Need to Know About India’s New ‘Anti-Muslim’ Citizenship Law
December 17, 2019
