NEW DELHI: MM Rehman, the vice-president of a corporate firm, took out time from his busy work schedule to arrive at the street outside Jamia Millia Islamia with his three daughters on Wednesday. He wished to register his protest against the amended Citizenship Act and the National Register of Citizens, which the Centre has vowed to do afresh in Assam and replicate across the country.
The scene of the peaceful civilian protest, on the third day since police allegedly barged into the Jamia campus and unleashed an assault on students, saw a mixed but sizeable turnout, with women protesters on one side and parents along with their children on the other.
Asked if he felt safe enough to bring his girls along, as protests have a way of turning violent, Rehman said he wanted his daughters to be awake and alert to issues concerning the country right now.
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"While I have put them up to speed with all that has been happening over the last few days, I want them to be part of such protests so that they understand the anger that is bringing people to the streets. Everyone has to die someday. I’m not scared. My daughters need to be aware of what’s happening around them. They wanted to come forward and be part of the protest," said Rehman, whose daughters are all of 12, 10 and 14 years of age.
Raziya, a homemaker, also came to the protest site with her children. “My children wanted to know what’s happening. Hence, I decided to bring them along. It’s important that we keep our children informed about what’s going on,” Raziya told this newspaper.
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The varsity students also came out in numbers to the protest site, with foreheads painted with the words, ‘No CAA, No NRC’. They put out a huge map of India at gate number 7, highlighting campuses elsewhere that have erupted in solidarity with Jamia students.