Hemal Ashar hemal@ mid- day. com THE Bombay Catholic Sabha ( BCS) along with the St Theresa Sabha unit held a meet on Saturday night at the St Theresau2019s hall in Bandra West. The meet was titled, u2018 Understanding Citizenship ( Amendment) Act ( CAA), National Population Register ( NPR) and National Register of Citizens ( NRC)u2019. The first speaker Fr Frazer Mascarenhas told his audience, u201c I will not speak about CAA but Christian spirituality.u201d Fr. Mascarenhas went on, u201c Prayer is powerful but it must be backed by action.
Today, Catholics have become content with being quiet and simply praying about things.
We must take action for justice and motivated by compassion and love. Democracy has to be worked at. You must allow us to dissent. Our religious duty is to make the country and the world a more just place.u201d No documents Senior advocate Mihir Desai part of the speakersu2019 panel, gave a background of the different acts and said that, u201c there are large sections of people who do not have any documents or proof. These are many women, abandoned children, the homeless. If one is unable to prove oneu2019s citizenship then you will be put in detention camps.u201d Desai claimed this ( CAA- NPR- NRC) was an exercise in futility and divisiveness, it is aimed at marginalising, creating fear and should be stopped. u201c We have laws for migrants, and those should be used. The government is bringing in a Hindu- Muslim divide, with this,u201d he stressed.
No rights Teesta Setalvad, activist, explained that, u201c when your citizenship is taken away then you lose the right to have rights.u201d Setalvad said, u201c With this exercise NCP- NCR, what is most disturbing is that there is an onus on the individual to prove that they are citizens. They are the ones who have to furnish documents.u201d Setalvad claimed crores are being spent in this exercise, u201c but what are we unleashing on ourselves?u201d Telling the primarily Christian audience that they, too, were the u201c enemies of this regime, but have made it out because of Donald Trump,u201d Setalvad went on, u201c One way civil society can make itself more effective is to talk to your elected representatives. Maharashtra is going to implement the NPR from May, this is arbitrary and dangerous as it empowers a lower level government officer to declare you a doubtful citizen.u201d In the end Setalvad rounded off with, u201c with Mumbai Bagh, modelled on Shaheen Bagh, Muslim women are breaking the back of patriarchy,u201d earning a round of applause.
Fence sitters As late evening turned to night, last speaker Bombay Catholic Sabhau2019s Dolphy Du2019Souza began by saying, u201c We are almost turning into a police state and we must not allow this to happen. It is also condemnable to dub those who protest, who stand for the truth, as anti- nationals.u201d Du2019Souza exhorted the women in the audience, u201c to visit the places where so many women are protesting. We must stand in solidarity with them as they are sticking their necks out for us.u201d Du2019Souza earned a laugh as he said, while telling the audience to take a stand, u201c those who sit on the fence will have their pants torn.u201d High drama There was high drama in the interactive session. While most speakers were against the CAA and concurred with the BJP government- bashing, a woman who said she was an advocate S Collaco took the mike and dissented.
u201c The Assam problem did begin with Muslim migration,u201d she told the hall and added, u201c is it possible that one cannot have any documents at all?u201d She also asked people, u201c why not support this government and give them a chance...u201d This led to an agitated Aftab Siddiqui, Bandra activist in the audience, to shout back: u201c who are these illegal Muslim migrants? How many are there? Do you have the figures? You must know the figures. If you have a voice, even I have one.u201d The organisers rushed to Siddiqui to restore calm and then replied to Collacou2019s claims, categorically refuting them as the meet ended.
No rights and a lot of wrongs Drama marks meet slamming CAA- NPR- NRC with speakers stressing divisive agenda; urge audience to join in protest Fr Fraser Mascarenhas and Dolphy Du2019Souza. pics/ BIPIN KOKATE Mihir Desai at the meet u2018 Maharashtra is going to implement NPR from May, this is dangerous as it empowers a lower level government officer to declare you a doubtful citizenu2019 Teesta Setalvad, activist
