Chaliyam: The fishermen of Kerala held a unique march to protest against the divisive Citizenship Amendment Act which gives Indian citizenship to persecuted minorities from neighbouring excluding Muslims.
The bill was passed in parliament and became an act after the president of India, Ram Nath Kovind gave his assent last year.
The special march was held on January 9, in the Chilayam area of Kozhikode, Kerala. The fishermen waved the national flag and raised anti-CAA slogans in Malayalam, roughly translated as:
Whose land is it? Our land, Whose India is it? Our India
Chanting these lines and raising anti-CAA slogans, the fishermen sailed boats from the Chilayam Jankar Jetty to Feroke Bridge and back with protesters carrying banners and placards.
These are the same folks who played a vital role in saving hundreds of lives during floods in Kerala in 2018 and 2019. Though they sacrificed a lot in saving the lives of people of Kerala, some of them also lost their boats. But they did not stop their help for saving the other victims.