Sir,

The nation has been witnessing unprecedented protests across the country, some peaceful and majority with violence, vandalism and destruction of public property, totally  unacceptable in a democracy.

The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) has been grossly misinterpreted by vested interests like the proverbial elephant being described by five blind men to selected sections of the society for their political gains.

The Citizenship Amendment  Bill (CAB)  was debated exhaustively in both the Houses of the Parliament and passed following due process of the Constitution and became an Act. Every duly elected Government has the sovereign right to enact laws as promised in their election manifesto and at the same time the Opposition parties also have a Constitutional right to protest against this law peacefully. That is the majesty of democracy !

The demand by the protesters  representing only a section of the society to roll back the CAA does not hold water in a democracy. Assuming if the Government of the day accedes to their request, then there will be no need for Parliament in India to enact laws  and all important laws can be passed based on the dictates of  protesting mobs.

Ideally, the anti-CAA protesters can seek judicial remedy in the Supreme Court (as many have already done) and if they fail, then wait till the next Lok Sabha elections in 2024 and elect the Government of their choice and get the CAA rescinded in the true spirit of democracy.

– K.C. Biddappa, Sr. VP, ITC Ltd. (Retd), Mysuru, 24.12.2019

You can also mail us your views, opinions, and stories to [email protected]