This story is from January 19, 2020

Nagpur: Anti-NRC alliance widens base as Maratha, OBC outfits join

After a series of protest rallies that predominantly had Muslims’ participation, outfits representing SC/ST, OBC, Marathas and some civil society organizations announced forming an alliance to carry out anti-NRC/CAA movement.
Nagpur: Anti-NRC alliance widens base as Maratha, OBC outfits join
Only to escape the persecution faced from upper caste, a large numbers of lower caste people converted to Islam and Christianity or became Buddhists in 1953
NAGPUR: After a series of protest rallies that predominantly had Muslims’ participation, outfits representing SC/ST, OBC, Marathas and some civil society organizations announced forming an alliance to carry out anti-NRC/CAA movement.
A couple of events including a ‘cadre-training workshop’ has been planned in the city during this month. Contents of a document shared by one of the organizers indicates that the focus of the event will be to stress that the entire NRC-CAA exercise was being carried out in order to establish a Hindu nation dominated by the upper caste.
The key speakers include former high court judge B G Kolse Patil and former chairman of the University Grants Commission Sukdhev Thorat.
Leaders of organization like Jamat-e-Islami-e-Hind along with Congressmen like Praful Gudadhe Patil and Baban Taywade will also take part in the sessions.
The first seminar will be held at Maratha Sewa Sangh on January 19 followed by another on January 29 at Vasantrao Deshpande Hall.
The paper forwarded as a prelude to the events said it needs to be examined whether NRC and CAA would impact only Muslims or whether other communities will be affected too. “If the government has shown a gesture of humanity towards persecuted Hindus from other countries by allowing them Indian citizenship, what about the treatment being meted out to SC/ST and OBC communities since centuries. They are the original inhabitants of India,” said the message.

Only to escape the persecution faced from upper caste, a large numbers of lower caste people converted to Islam and Christianity or became Buddhists in 1953. As many as 90% of the members of these communities who are otherwise original inhabitants of the country had converted into these religions, the document added.
“Who opposed the Mandal commission over reservations to OBCs, were they not Hindus at that time? Who kept the Dalits deprived of education,” asked the document in an indirect reference to BJP.
“The Union transport minister Nitin Gadkari questioned the opposition to the idea of having a Hindu nation if there are other countries having a state religion. However, it appears that the idea of Hindu nation is only to serve the interest of upper caste,” the document shared through social media said.
Support to the campaign has been pledged by 38 organizations that includes Jamat-e-Islami-e-Hind apart from some employees association and a number of Ambedkarite outfits.
A member of the Federation of Organisations for Social Justice, Secularism and Democracy, one of the organisations taking part in the event said the cadre training will involve awareness programmes on the law.
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