Record turnout for Hyderabad’s anti-CAA-NRC-NPR Million March

Hyderabad: As thousands of protestors flocked to Dharna Chowk en masse around 2 pm for Hyderabad’s Million March protest against the CAA-NRC-NPR, the city’s residents voiced they’re discontented regarding these three initiatives

A 60-year-old senior citizen woman said, “The government ignores public opinion, I came out because I want to tell them and everyone else that injustice is an illness in India.”

Among the crowds at the Indira Park, slogans against the unconstitutionality of the central government reverberated throughout the venue.

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“I hope the government can listen to us. I hope we can fight back, We would rather have our death certificates printed than fill out NPR-NRC papers,” asserted Mohammed Mushtaq Malik, founder/convenor of the TS-AP Joint Action Committee (JAC) against the CAA-NRC-NPR.

The march was largely peaceful with many children and elderly people participating. The JAC against CAA & NRC who organized the march claimed of turnout that surpassed 5 Lakh.

Many local leaders such as the All India Muslim League’s Mohammed Shabbir Ali, former Congress Rajya Sabha MP Hanumanth Rao, and Former High Court Judge Chandra Kumar addressed the gathering alongside other Muslim and Non-Muslim organizations.

 “Humein kafan manzoor hai magar NRC nahin,” shouted protestors.

Around Hyderabad’s Tank Bund area, protesters from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, youngsters from Kashmir as well as Assam, and students of Jamia Islamia, MANUU, Osmania University, and etc. participated in the Million March.

Alongside these participants, social activists and Hyderabadi influencers who run popular YouTube channels were present.

Protesters formed human chains in various forms as they held the national flag to assert the unity of India and its secularism. Meanwhile, heavy police forces were deployed in an around the Tank Bund area while internet experienced a total shut down at the Million March venue.

Enthusiastic protesters used placards, banners and national flags using creative slogans alongside imagery.  Thousands of other protesters attempted to reach Indira Park, Dharna Chowk as evening approached. Hundreds of police personnel surrounded the venue leaving only two exits for protesters.   

Plus, this is the first time in the history where a protest saw attendance by women as well.

Soon after the March, organisers were asked by the Hyderabad City Police to end the event as the authorities encouraged people to leave peacefully. Hyderabad police personnel started to clear the streets of Tank Bund as the allotted time for the march finished. Though many protesters left, some still remained.

TS & AP Joint Action Committee leaders against CAA-NRC-NPR stated that they would be staging another protest at Pragathi Bhavan, which is the CM’s camp office.

ST-SC students and non-Muslims take part in Million March in traditional Muslim attire

Following the recent statement made by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi that rioters can be identified by their attire, the ST, SC and Dalit students of Osmania University and non-Muslim protestors at the Hyderabad’sMillion Marchagainst CAA-NRC-NPR on Saturday were seen in traditional Muslim apparel.

By now you would have come across endless photographs of protesters holding placards in there against the CAA-NRC-NPR. During the March majority of these women who hit the streets of Tank Bund were wearing a hijab.

Even the ST, SC and Dalit students of Osmania University were into Muslim attire. The non-Muslim male students were wearing Muslim caps and non-Muslim female students were wearing hijab and holding placards.

School authorities along with protesters seen cleaning the streets and Indira Park after the Million March

After the Million March around 1200 Telangana private schools who extended their support to Million March organized by TS & AP JAC against CAA-NRC-NPR, Fazlul Rahman Khurram, Director of Dawn School, Firdous flower school, Chairman Parvez, Mohammed Sajid, St. Maaz school, distributed flowers to the Hyderabad City Police personnel who were in bandobast.

Moreover, after the March the JAC leaders, school officials along with the protesters has voluntarily cleaned the Indira Park.

This such a thoughtful gesture that the several protesters who took part in Million March were seen picking up the trash and disposing them.

mohammedhussain.reporter@gmail.com