When People Rise in Protest: Mobilising for Equal Citizenship in India

This is an important book on the nationwide protests against the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act) and its connections with the NRC (National Register of Citizens). It highlights the significance of vast numbers of Indians rising in protest for equal citizenship and how it became a metaphor for not just minority rights but for the safeguarding of the Constitution and democracy in contemporary India. Unlike other books on the subject, it brings into picture the national character of the protests by engaging in an analysis of the public protests in different cities and towns, the singular role of students, the pioneering leadership of women including in Shaheen Bagh, the new grammar of protests evident in the cultural expressions of the intelligentsia and artists, and how in many ways these protests are a landmark in political movements in independent India. It examines the supportive but hesitant stance of the political parties in the Opposition, and on the other hand, the authoritarian response of the current regime in dealing with these protests. Based on primary and secondary material collected through interviews, newspaper and investigative reports, it should be useful for academics and citizens interested in contemporary history. It is a valuable record of these momentous events.…