2019: The year of protest

If you tell the truth you are called an activistMuAzzam Bhat 27 Rap artiste actor content writer Stepped out for Abrogation of Article 370 which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir August 2019My life turned on its head this August when Article 370 was scrapped I am from Srinagar and I was then in Mumbai on work Lines were down and there was no way to get in touch with my family Every minute of being disconnected became excruciatingly painful It was sickening I waited for two days before I decided to abandon the project half way and return home But in Kashmir life had come to a standstill Shops were shut roads were blocked We had lost our freedom to speak upI took the call to move to Mumbai three months ago I wanted people to listen to us My rap songs allowed me to describe how Kashmiris live every single day Its difficult to stay away from your family and homeland I feel the decision to move has been imposed on me The circumstances in which I was forced to move also pushed me to write the song Mauj Kasheer My Motherland KashmirMy rap journey began in 2011 when I was at high school At the time I was not thinking about politics and conscious rap In fact my first album was about personal transformationmdashhow when you face a lot of obstacles in life it makes you a better person But if your songs dont make the listener feel something whats the point of doing music at allI thought about those who cannot rap who cannot put into words what they are experiencing Because I was surrounded by so much violence I felt a responsibility So whatever I did next I wanted it to be larger than myself Thats how Kashmir became the heart of everything I write and singMy music is about speaking of what is happening around me which is inadvertently political in nature For example if I stepped out and I saw a boy pelting stones I included that in my song This is not activism or politics it is reality Activism today is about speaking the truth If you tell the truth you are called an activistI have been singing for long but its only after the recent unrest in Kashmir that listeners have begun to see why my songs are relevant Two years ago I released a song called Criminal which is about an individual who gets falsely indicted for speaking the truth Isnt that whats happening nowAs told to Jane BorgesFirst sign of trouble and we will protest againYash Marwah 24 Advertising professional Stepped out for Save Aarey October 2019I joined the Save Aarey movement as a volunteer because it was unfolding right here in Mumbai and I thought I could help Aarey was not just about the trees that would be cut for the car shed A Metro station will also come up The plan was to construct SRA buildings then a zoo It will lead to a domino effect Its never been about just Aarey its about setting a larger precedent Its about cultivating the habit of coming together to save the environmentPicAjeesh F RawtherHad the situation not become so dire I dont think the number of people who turned up to protest would have It is unfortunate but trees had to be cut for us to realise the urgency of protesting But these protests were also the culmination of the voices and issues plaguing the citymdashwhether it is Mahul or the predicament faced by the tribals of Aarey the Kolis of Bombay the farmers who walked here all the way from Nashik the pride marches that are held every yearWe had so many causes to fight for I think that when people see their children stepping out on the streets and asking questions they get inspired to join My parents were initially hesitant about my decision but they are supportive now Twenty nine activists were jailed this year and were I to be jailed I think my parents would stand by me We coordinated legal and financial efforts to free the lot that was detained They are out on bail nowParticipating in the protests affected my work yes Had I not gone Id have more mental space to deal with my professional life But I am passionate about what I am fighting for Personally my lifes goal is not just to make more money but also contribute to making a better society On the other hand meeting new people coming up with innovative strategies to spread the word about Save Aarey have served to enhance my creativityWhile 2000odd trees were felled at Aarey construction has been halted even as the newly formed Uddhav Thackeray government is looking for an alternate plot of land to build the Metro shed Im unsure about how the government will decide to proceed so my eyes and ears are open The first sign of trouble and we will protest again Call me cynical but Id rather be aware and prepared than be ignorant and caughtoff guardAs told to P VatsalyaAs young mothers were concerned about the city we are leaving to our kidsTina Nandi 31 and Anca Abraham 38 Cofounders of LYPMumbai Love Your Parks Mumbai Stepped out for AntiCoastal Road campaign by creating online and offline initiatives AprilDecember 2019We got interested in the AntiCoastal Road initiative since our interest in LYPMumbai Love Your Parks Mumbai makes us feel responsible for public spaces One of the major selling points of the Coastal Road project was that Mumbaikars would be getting new open public space However on examining the data closely we realised that actually the road is cutting off our natural access to the ocean and all the open spaces are designed in between highwaysPicPradeep DhivarSince we have young children we were concerned about the kind of city we are leaving them to inherit with our rashly planned development projects The year is 2019 and the warning signs of climate change and rising sea levels are loud and clear We should be doing everything in our power to take cars off the road and plan a pedestrianfriendly cyclefriendly city with excellent public transport which makes the best of our natural access to the coastAt LYPMumbai we believe that local public spaces should be used to gather learn and celebrate Social media is essential for sharing information in creative ways creating visibility and increasing awareness amongst the youth We also organised an exhibition of Marine Life Photography on Worli seaface and used social media to amplify the message The exhibition was born purely out of our amazement at the beautiful marine ecosystem that the waters around Mumbai supports despite pollution We felt that people needed to know that there is plenty to be preserved and protected in our watersWe see our work as more community and consensus building rather than protest or activism At the end of the day public projects are meant to be for the people The government is serving the people so it is important to take citizens along in all decision makingIn July 2019 the Bombay HC delivered a detailed order to stay the project which confirmed the many environmental concerns Climate Central has released a revised projection on the effect of sea level rise by 2050 millions of people in coastal cities like Mumbai will experience annual floodingThis information should lead us to urgently reexamine all infrastructure projects that are environmentally destructive The air quality is getting worse we know that more roads lead to more cars so building roadcentric infrastructure is not the solutionWhile the SC lifting the stay on the project is disappointing we have faith that the apex court will see the injustice of this project and reiterate the High Courts decision to reexamine the Coastal Road which is a project that benefits approximately one per cent of the population of Mumbai who are carusers while the majority who are public transport users are neglected Not to mention the grave injustice to the artisanal fisherfolk of Worli Koliwada who stand to lose their livelihood in totalityAs told to Jane BorgesNone of us are free until all of us are freeMridul 35 Freelance technology professional Stepped out for Protest against the Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Act 2019 November 2019I am an introvert but even I think its important to take to the streets when the state is being oppressive to the extent of passing laws that delegitimise the existence of one group I identify as a queer feminist and hold my praxis of the same as responsible for shaping my worldview I have been a member of the queer feminist collective LABIA for a decade My feminism stems from challenging patriarchy by questioning gender and gender roles Queersafe spaces in Mumbai and the support from my chosen family have been key to my coming to terms with myselfPicPradeep DhivarMy family is extremely supportive now although their support came in installments A year or so after my father passed away I came out as transgender to the rest of my family My younger sisters sent me rakhis the very next year My mother and my brother took a while to warm up to my gender identity But I have been fortunate A lot of trans people run away from home to escape being mistreated by their natal families beaten up from corrective rape and forced marriageThe Transgender Persons Act does everything but protect the rights of trans people in India In fact it violates their rights It goes against the spirit and the letter of the Supreme Courts NALSA judgment which gave us the right to selfdetermination and spoke about welfare schemes Selfdetermination means that I am trans because I say I am trans The central government has failed to incorporate any of the important changes suggested by the trans community to address the lacunae in the legislation These include the presence of a screening committee coercing people to get surgeries lack of affirmative action overlooking families of choice and violence committed by natal families differential prison sentences for sexually assaulting a trans person I could go on and on Its frustratingAfter the Act was passed this year a press conference was held in Mumbai rejecting it There was a big protest held outside Dadar station Currently consultations are going on within the larger community about going to court On a personal level I have been protesting every day on social media by countering the administrations narrative Im speaking to the people around me about why the Act is a regressive one I have also been participating in talks at colleges It is a huge burden on the community to constantly explain itself to everyone But it is necessaryNone of us are free until all of us are free Solidarity is important We have to ally with other movements which may not directly affect us whether its surrogacy or sex workers rights or the NRC Its all stemming from the same paternalistic mindset of the governmentmdashwe know whats better for you You cant be selective about what you care for Now more than ever its important that we resistAs told to P VatsalyaWhat if Gandhi had said Im too busy to protestAbhinit Khanna 31 Independent arts manager Stepped out for August Kranti march against Citizenship Amendment Act December 2019Ever since this government was elected in 2014 we have seen them tactfully muzzle the voice of intellectuals and artistes The artist community which I belong to has been facing problems while making work If I am to produce something for a gallery I think twice because of the fear that has been instilled Will my exhibition be destroyed Any voice of dissent is considered antinational How can you speak up Who came up with the idea that dissent is bad for democracy The authorities have lost the plot and have a problem if anyone across art music culture speaks up Even a veteran actor like Amol Palekar was interrupted during a speech he gave at the NGMA in Mumbai when the director intervened because Palekar was critical of the governments interference in the daily workings of the galleryPicSameer MarkandeI was recently in Germany for a residency and I attended sessions that introduced me to the countrys history I see the similarities now I decided to join the CAA protest to show solidarity It was heartwarming to see young people out there Even music producers who we know as the guys who throw cool parties were there They may not have joined us in support on social media but they were there in personIts unfortunate that a lot of prominent artists havent spoken up The reason Art World Memes an Instagram hashtag started two years ago to call out the bigotry in the art world Artists want to be woke but their work has no value if they are not going to be political They dont want to speak up because they fear that their funding will be cut off Its the same with collectors I know of think tanks and labs in the city that have been quiet on the issue The least they could do is organise readings bring people together You cant be apolitical at a time like thisMy effort is to mobilise others via Instagram takeovers southasiaart is a handle that targets the diaspora which has been particularly quiet I took it over and when they saw our posts they were surprised at what is going on in India My father was in the hospital on the day of the protest He is still not okay But we need to make time for what we believe in What if Gandhi or Ambedkar had been too busy What if Ambedkar had said I have other important work to do I cant write the Constitution of India If you cant join a protest in person join in online Write something or share what others have postedAs told to Gitanjali ChandrasekharanI protested because they threatened to cut down my GodManisha Dhinde 20 TYBMM student SNDT College Malad Stepped out for Save Aarey protest October 2019We are adivasismdashwe worship nisarg nature It is only natural that it will hurt our sentiments if someone tries to cut down our God On October 4 I had just returned home in Jivacha Pada Aarey Colony after giving a college exam when I was told about the trees being felled for the Metro car shed I reached the spot by 630 pm and saw that the police had put up a barrier beyond which no one was allowed to go The police kept reassuring us that no trees were being cut beyond this limit but we could hear the noise from chainsaws It was evident that the police was lyingManisha Dhinde with her fathers aunt at Maroshi Pada Adivasi Gaothan in Goregaon PicSatej ShindeAt 3 am they took all of us to different police stations I was taken to Dahisar and detained I had another exam on Monday and I knew I should have been studying at home Thats all I could think of initially But then it dawned on me that if these treesmdashwho are my God and homemdashdont survive what is the point I can give the exam another year but the forest will not come back once it is destroyedAfter some of the women who were detained along with other Save Aarey protesters requested the police authorities to release me since I had an exam they let me go at 9 am On my way home I had to cross the Aarey check naka A policeman spotted me but I took the kaccha raasta back to my house quickly freshened up and left for the exam I had to once again cross the check naka The police officials detained me again I showed them my hall ticket but they called it fake They said bahut mazaa aa raha tha raat ko protest karne mein and took me to Dindoshi police station Only after calling my exam coordinator did they let me go I barely made it to the exam in timeThe Aarey protests have left me fearless in facing the government They lie through their teeth They dont care about nature If they dont lead by example how will the masses follow I dont think people value protests today because despite so many Indians saying they are unhappy discontented with something in this country sarkar toh public ko hi maar rahi hai They government do whatever they want I think change is possible but for it to happen we will all have to come together as one and make our voices heardAs told to Gaurav SarkarWhen the forest closest to us got affected we spoke upSwapnil Bodhe 33 Former ad professional Soniya Gandhi 34 Art director at media firm Stepped out for Save Aarey October 2019I have always felt for the environment but didnt quite know how to stand up for my beliefs But when the forest closest to me Aarey started getting affected I realised I had to speak up If everyone stood up to protect the greens closest to them maybe we could save our planetThe protest against hacking trees to make way for the Metro car shed was ongoing The media had been reporting it and there were those who had also gone to court against the decisionPicSatej ShindeSoniya and I are both sensitive to the environment and pursue a zerowaste lifestyle I connected with Vanashakti the NGO that has been fronting the battle to save Aarey Having just one chat with its director Stalin Dayanand convinced me that both Soniya and I had to give this my time This was in April Every Sunday from July to September we would join a human chain that would snake through Aarey I also attended the hearings against the car shed in the Bombay High Court This allowed me to understand in greater detail the credibility of the protesters argument The space at Kanjurmarg which the protesters were requesting the government consider as an alternative car shed site is not private property as has been portrayed It is owned by the Maharashtra governmentIf you visit Aarey youll see 300yearold trees innumerable bird nests that they support and the rich life in them Going inside the forest was the first thing we did after speaking with Stalin On October 6 we participated in a climate change protest held in Bandra It was a die in organised by XR Extinction Rebellion We had all planned to lie down on the street but the police didnt let us protest This was right after the trees had been hacked in the dead of the night at Aarey and we were told that Section 144 had been imposed around the city The fact was that it was applicable only around Aarey The police made sure we left the area following us all the way to a coffee shop and keeping an eye on us We felt like criminalsThe government has fallen prey to capitalist interests We couldnt believe that the trees had been cut despite the case pending in Supreme Court While I was in Pune Soniya joined the protests on October 4 and was detained along with the others including very young students There has been resistance from our family They are worried about our safety But if young students who went out that day pretending they were going to tuition spoke up how could we notAs told to Gitanjali ChandrasekharanEarlier 3000 protesters would turn up Now three lakh doFahad Ahmad 26 Senior Research Fellow PhD TISS Stepped out for Citizenship Amendment Act protest December 2019Earlier I was afraid to raise my voice in public and question the governments inadvertent policies But now I feel the most patriotic thing you can do is to ask the government questions and hold them accountable for its actionsI am from Bareilly Uttar Pradesh and the first person in my family to procure a graduate degree My father worries for my safety considering that I have been at the forefront of antigovernment protests which is why I put on a brave frontFahad Ahmad former General Secretary of TISS outside the Jamia Millia Islamia campus on Thursday where he stood shouldertoshoulder with Arundhati Roy to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 and the National Registry of Citizens The peaceful protest was attended by over 5000 people including students of the university PicNishad AlamThe current generation of Muslims are capable of articulating their problems no onemdashneither their own people or people from other religionsmdashcan influence them in the name of religion anymore We are aware that no religion is good or bad it is what we practice that is good and badBeing detained on December 13 for reading the Constitution out loud during an antiCAA protest in Mumbai evoked a sense of attachment towards it the Constitution During the course of the antiCAA protests across the country the love that people have shown for the Constitution has increased manifold And thats a great thing for the country Prior to this the perception was that the Constitution is a document that is for government use whereas in reality it is written for us It exists so that we know our rights and duties I have started valuing the Constitution a lot more Even in Delhi Muslim women who are coming forward in large numbers to protest are hailing the Indian Constitution and BR Ambedkar Here on I think the government will think twice before laying down any unconstitutional rules because it is aware that we the electorate have found our collective voice to dissentThe nationwide discontent has gone beyond the HinduMuslim issue We are on the path to becoming the beautiful bouquet of communities and religions we were in 1947 when people from all walks of life and religions came together to form India We are going back to that Yeh desh bahut mazboot hai Iske dushman kucch waqt ke liye haazir ho jaate hainhellipbut we have always bounced back and will this time tooYeh kisi Fahad ka protest nahin hai Fahad pehle bhi protest karta tha aur aage bhi karta rahega Fark sirf itna hai ki pehle 3000 log aate the aur ab teen lakh log aate hainAs told to Gaurav SarkarCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates