NEW DELHI: People across Delhi witnessed a different kind of New Year’s Eve at Jamia Millia Islamia as the students along with the locals protesting against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC at Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh rang in 2020.
Several activists, artists, social workers skipped their new year party plan to celebrate it differently in Shaheen Bagh.
In videos doing the rounds on the internet, students along with locals could be seen demanding ”Azadi” (freedom) from CAA and NRC, while several roamed around waving national flags with creative placards against the new law.
As the clock struck 12, the protesting crowd sang the national anthem, followed by the slogan “Inquilab Zindabad”.
Bollywood actor Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub who has decided to spend the entire day of January 1 in Delhi’s Jamia and Shaheen Bagh areas among the protesters.
Actress Swara Bhaskar also among the protesters at Shaheen Bagh.
The banners set on the stage read ”The Azadi Night” (The Freedom Night).
In some videos and photos some could be seen distributing biryani among the fellow protesters.
Twitteratti appreciated the move and #NationalAnthem started trending, following which a user wrote:
“Goosebumps..Jab Delhi ki fizaaon me JAN GAN MAN ADHINAYAK JAYA HAI ki awaaz goonj uthi. Temp around 2 degree but people celebrate 2020 with National Anthem under the open sky with their infants. SALUTE This is the true love with their Nation #ShaheenBagh.”
A user while sharing the video, captioned: “That”s how we welcomed the new year – with the national anthem and cries of ”hum ek hain”. #InqalaabZindabaad.”
Excluding Muslims, the Citizenship Amendment Act grants citizenship to six non-Muslim refugees from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh who came to India till December 31, 2014.