The Central Government, along with certain State Governments, is responding to protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 (CAA) with a combination of repression, misinformation, demonisation of protestors, hubris and outright falsehoods. 

Tactics such as misusing Section 144, Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973 (CrPC) for preventing lawful assembly of people, internet shutdowns, curbing the freedom of the press, and turning a blind eye to the state-sponsored destruction of private property, violence against citizens and mass detentions as seen in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere have no place in a democracy.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are showing no sign of taking into consideration the widespread public condemnation of the CAA and the National Registry of Citizens (NRC). They seem unmoved by the rapidly mounting human costs and moral implications of their reckless actions. In fact, by approving Rs. 3,941 crores for the National Population Register (NPR), they have signalled their intention to go ahead with their plans to implement a nationwide NRC.

We the People of India condemn the Shah-Modi administration's narrow and discriminatory notion of citizenship. We demand that the Government of India adopt an inclusive and nondiscriminatory approach to citizenship based on the ideals of our Constitution. 

Now is the time for unity. India’s political leadership is failing us - we must join together to defend our Constitution and make the government responsive to citizen concerns. The freedom fighters who wrote our Constitution imagined a secular India, which guaranteed freedom, equality, and justice for all. It is for this reason that Article 14 of the Indian Constitution uses the term ‘person’, and not ‘citizen’. Today, we must fight to preserve that vision of India.

We, the People of India, call upon the Government of India to

1. end internet shutdowns across the country immediately,
2. withdraw right away imposition of Section 144, CrPC and any advisories that censor the free press of India,
3. urgently create an independent panel to investigate allegations of state-ordered police violence against civilians in Uttar Pradesh and Delhi,
4. repeal the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 and Section 14A inserted by the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003,
5. introduce in Parliament an Inclusive Citizenship Amendment Bill in 2020,
6. formulate humanitarian laws for asylum seekers in accordance with the 1951 Refugee Convention of the United Nations,
7. immediately restore peace and normalcy across the country. 

We, the People of India, call upon the Government to reaffirm its commitment to uphold the principles of Secularism, Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity as stated in the Preamble to the Constitution of India. 

We urge you to sign and support this petition. Please share this widely by every means possible – in person and/or electronically. Please continue making your voice heard. 

Jai Hind.

[For more information about us and for translations of this petition in other Indian languages, please visit: www.humhindustani.in]