Shaheen Bagh : Anti-CAA protests ‘a long fight’: Anurag Kashyap
NEW DELHI : Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap visited Delhi today to extend his solidarity to the protesting students of Jamia Millia Islamia and protestors of Shaheen Bagh and called it a long fight.
The filmmaker further stressed on the need for patience at a protest rally against the Citizenship Amendment Act and called them as the people’s main weapons in their fight against the law. He further said he was inspired by the protestors who were out on the streets to reclaim the Constitution and said that for the first time, he felt that India is one country.
Kashyap stressed on the need for patience and persistence at a protest rally against the Citizenship Amendment Act at the Jamia Millia University in New Delhi today, terming them as the people’s main weapons in their movement against the law.
“Hum bethe rahenge jab tak aap yahan aake tab tak humare sawalo ka jawab nahi dete jab tak hum andar se satisfied nahi ho jate,” he said. Kashyap ended his address with calls of “Inquilab Zindabad” after which he had Biryani on the stage.The Gangs of Wasseypur director kicked off his address by saying that this was his first visit to Jamia and that he was feeling alive after he stepped inside the varsity.
“Main Jamia main pehli baar aaya hoon. Kahin lag raha tha hum andar se mar gaye hain, par yahan aa kar laga ki hum zinda hain,” said Kashyap. Terming the anti-CAA protests as “andolan” (agitation), he said: “Mere liye yeh andolan Jamia se shuru hua. Aur yeh ladaai bahot lambi hai. Kal parson aur chunaav ke sath khatm nahi hogi.”
“Our battle will have to be fought with patience, not violence. It is key. This won’t take one or two days. We have to stand strong until we get the answer to all our questions,” Mr Kashyap said, drawing a deafening applause from the audience.
Mr Kashyap has emerged as one of the top crusaders against the controversial law at a time when many Bollywood stars have stayed away from commenting on the Citizenship Amendment Act controversy.
He and several colleagues from the film industry, including director Vishal Bharadwaj and actor Richa Chadha, had led peaceful protests in Mumbai last month. He also came out strongly in support of Bollywood superstar Deepika Padukone after she visited the Jawaharlal Nehru University in solidarity with students and teachers targeted by armed people on January 5, 2020.
Mr Kashyap told the protesters that they were not alone in their battle against the Citizenship Amendment Act. “This will be a long fight, but we are all together in this. Some of you wonder why more are not coming forward in your support, but rest assured that they are with you even in their silence. We can all see what’s happening here,” he said.
He claimed that the protests against the controversial law has, for the first time in years, provided the world with a glimpse of the unity in the country. “From Jamia to JNU, the agitation spread across the country. For the first time, it seems like we are one country. We have to take back our country and Constitution,” Mr Kashyap said, before ending his address with calls of “Inquilab Zindabad”.
The filmmaker later had biryani, a dish that dominated the political discourse in Delhi ahead of the just-concluded assembly elections, with the protesters.
