CAA: Women take to streets in Malerkotla

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, December 22

Malerkotla witnessed an all-women protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the NRC on Sunday. A majority of Muslim women came out of their houses and participated in the protest.

They announced to intensify their agitation if the Centre failed to withdraw both the CAA and the NRC.

“The Centre has no right to use religion to grant citizenship. It has created such a huge panic that everyone is feeling unsafe. I and my family have started feeling like outsiders,” said Salma, a protester.

The women first reached the Sirhandi gate. Carrying placards, they marched to Satta Chowk, where they handed over a memorandum to SDM Vikramjit Painthey and demanded withdrawal of both.

“Though I have studied till Class VIII, I do understand that both CAA and the NRC are dangerous for the country. I am Indian by birth, but my son is married in Pakistan. We are planning to marry our younger son in Pakistan too. But after the implementation of the CAA, our family will not be able to marry our younger son there,” said another protester.

A majority of protesting women were from Muslim family, some Sikh and Hindu women also joined the protest. “Though some women addressed the gathering, nobody led the protest. It was a joint protest by the local women. We will send the memorandum to the President,” the SDM said.