Jamia students’ clarion call in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: A sea of humanity was in waiting to catch a glimpse of Ladeeda Farzana and Aysha Renna, the Keralite Jamia students, who have become the face of the student-led protests against CAA across the country. That they have achieved a celebrity status can be gauged from the fact that not only thousands of students, but even people from various walks of life, waited patiently and braved the chilly Saturday evening at the venue, Darussalam, to see them in flesh and blood and hear them speak. Almost immediately after the two took to the stage, the gathering broke through the barricades and erupted in jubilation as Aysha Renna began her address with ‘Assalamu Alaikum’. The frenzy was similar to something that one notices when a film personality or rock star and perhaps a cricket superstar comes on stage.

The two students arrived in the city to participate in the public meeting organised by United Muslim Action Committee at the AIMIM headquarters. Earlier, the videos of both the students standing up to the police lathi-charge had gone viral in all social media.

Condemning police atrocities and violence against students of Jamia and AMU, Aysha Renna said, “Have you ever heard of police bulldozing their way into a serene room like a library, ever heard of brutal attacks on students inside the campus? But in Modi’s regime, we are witnessing such barbaric acts.”

Venting ire at the BJP government, she cautioned, “They (the Centre) will first target Muslims, followed by Christians and Sikhs. They only want a Hindu rashtra. This is not the fight of Muslims alone but every Indian Citizen who believes in secularism.”

Calling for a larger and stronger coalition of all oppressed and marginalized communities, Ladeeda Farzana said, “We should not forget our mothers-Fathima Nafees of Najeeb Ahmed and Rohith Vemula’s mother Radhika Vemula- in these protests. Our effort should be to build a strong coalition against Hindutva rulers, who are destroying the country and its social fabric. I urge students across the country to build and consolidate their movement by involving all sections of people.”

The students also demanded the Delhi Police to release Bhim Army chief Chandrasekhar Azad, who is police custody.

Transcript of Aysha Renna’s speech

“While standing over here, I would like to extend my salaams to all the shuhadas, all those who have lended their lives in their struggle against the tyrant sangh regime across the country. In this occasion, I would also like to thank the organisers for welcoming us to this mass movement. I’m overwhelmed and so happy with the support you are showing us. I, Aysha Renna, a postgraduate student of history at Jamia Milia Islamia, standing before you, representing the thousands of students who are actively participating in the protest against CAA and NRC.

People call me the icon and the face. But I am not the real icon and the real face (of these protests).

I became the icon only because my video went viral- Mine, Ladeeda’s Shaheen’s video went viral. It was last Saturday that police came into our campus. They thrashed the students in our library, attacked the students who were offering namaaz.

Have you ever, in our history, heard of police who get inside the library, ever heard of brutal attacks on students inside the campus? But under this Modi regime, we all are witnessing that kind of things.

My salute to all those brave hearts who defended the dignity and self-esteem of their fellows in the Jamia Milia Islamia University and Aligarh Muslim University.

The Modi regime says that they are here to empower Muslim women through various acts and bills like triple talaq. But I want to ask the whole people of BJP: By beating up Muslim women, are they going to empower us?

I would like to bring to your notice that hate campaign going on against me and Ladeeda. It was mainly organized by a well-professed IT team of the Sangh people. This was the same IT team who criticized the Unnao rape victim, who criticized Fatima, who criticized all and everyone who criticized and raised their voice against the BJP, Sangh atrocities.

But I am sure that all their efforts are going to be in vain. Because the struggle is not just that of Aysha Renna or Ladeeda Farzana. It is neither the struggle of only Aligarh Muslim University or Jamia Milia Islamia. This fight is of our people, the whole people of India.

We know that the constitution begins with we the people. And the struggle is representing all the people all over India.

We are here to protect the Constitution from all the Hindutva agenda which the BJP government is planning to implement.

Yesterday, I met Mr Chandrasekhar Azad at the footsteps of Jama Masjid. The Bhim Army chief was leading the protest against the CAA there. He was the same guy who took to the streets, outside the Delhi police headquarters. In the early hours of 16 December 2019 in demand for justice to the students of Jamia who were detained in the police station.

Now when I am speaking in front of you, we came to know that he is under arrest of the Delhi police. I, on the behalf of each and everyone of the thousands of people gathered here request and demand the release of Chandrasekhar Azad who was in police custody for so long.

I also demand for the release of all the protestors who have been illegally detained under the police custody.

This solidarity of the marginalized people which defined the politics of the coming generation, which defines the politics of the future. This marginalized include the Muslim community, Adivasis, Dalits, all the minorities of India, which the BJP govt is ultimately targeting to.

My speech would be incomplete without speaking about National Registry of Citizens, which is NRC. During the discussion of the CAA on the parliament, home minister Amit shah has said that the nation-wide NRC will be implemented. NRC and CAA are complementary to each other. There is no difference between NRC and CAA. In the recent news report, we came to know that the work for a country-wide NRC has already began, under the mask of the National Population Register, that is the NPR.

So by standing over here, I urge, I request and I demand all chief ministers of non-BJP ruling states, to stop the [procedure of the NPR since it is acting against very rights that is violated under CAA.

I have seen folks being hopeless amidst the struggle being suppressed. I wanted to say, I am coming from Delhi. You might be knowing, Delhi is the city where you can see lots of forts and monuments. These are the remanences of the truth. The truth of the autocratic regimes, even after reaching the zenith of their glory would fall one day. The truth that Hitler had to commit suicide. The truth that Mussolini was killed by his own men.

For this state, the struggle for truth and justice is our ultimate struggle. We will win, we will win, Insha Allah.

Transcript of Ladeeda Farzana’s speech

I don’t know what to say. I think we don’t have to say anything. You guys are the answer, for this protest, for this struggle, for this resistance. Actually, I am not well, because of the tear gas, I got an infection. My sound is gone. I am just prepared to talk with you, I will talk as much as I can. First of all, thanks for inviting me for this historic gathering in Hyderabad. Thanks, Owaisi Sahib, and AIMIM.

Let me take this opportunity to salute all the people who are in the streets of the country and also of the world for this cause. I salute all the shuhadas of this movement who fought against the citizenship law. May Allah bless the souls of all the shuhadas in the jannut-ul-firdaus.

We all know that, our fight for justice is not complete without meaningful solidarities from people of other faiths, ideologies, and communities. I also should mention the Dalit Bahujan leader sir Chandrasekhar Azad for his solidarity. Salute. He is an inspiration to all of us who are fighting against the tyrannical regime of Hindutva on the country.

On the day citizenship law was passed in the country, our leader Owaisi sahib clearly stated that it was against the spirit of the constitution and that it negates all the achievements gained by Muslims under minority rights ensured in the constitution. It is very clear that the new citizenship law is against Muslims.

I am glad that the Muslim students of Aligarh aligned with other alliances from other marginalized communities and started a movement in the universities.

I appeal to all Hyderabad students to come out and fight and join.

What we need to do is to go and speak to people from all walks of life. We need to tell them, it is not only against Muslims, because once they eliminate the Muslims, that will not happen, they will come against other marginalized and oppressed groups, especially Christians, Dalit, Bahujan and Sikhs in this country.

I am so glad that there are many Muslim women protesting on the streets. They are my mothers. They are my sisters. The sisters who have gathered there, I am very proud of you my sisters.

We have a strong leader, that is Owaisi sahib. We should also bring our mothers. Fathima Nafees of Najeeb Ahmed and Rohith Vemula’s mother, Radhika Vemula to build a big coalition against Hindutva rule, that destroys this country. Students of the country are already on the streets. I ask them to build their movement by joining hands with other important spaces of protestors. We should also not forget the victims of riots, draconian laws like UAPA, the struggle of Kashmiris, the struggle of farmers and women, the brave battles of Dalit Bahujans. We should untie all the oppressed people of the country to end the rule of the Brahminical forces in this country. Insha allah, together we can change. May Allah bless all of us in this decisive fights against the fascist forces. It is our duty to uphold the values of sacrifice and struggle against injustice and oppression. That is how we will remember the legacy of all the martyrs. “is ladai mein ham ek kadam bhi peeche nahi jaayenge…Insha allah poore thaakath se aage chale rahenge.”

"Lad liya ham ne masha allah, aur ladenge Insha Allah"