With coronavirus sweeping the globe, countries are locking down, hoping that social isolation will stem the spread of the virus. This cris...
With coronavirus sweeping the globe, countries are locking down, hoping that social isolation will stem the spread of the virus.
This crisis could not have come at a worse time for India as the largest protests in the country’s history are underway. At hundreds of sites across India, protestors are demanding that the Narendra Modi government roll back the introduction of a religious filter in India’s citizenship laws.
The protests were sparked off in December by the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, which allows undocumented migrants to gain Indian citizenship as long as they are not Muslim. Protestors fear that the CAA when used in conjunction with a proposed National Register of Indian Citizens will allow the government to disenfranchise Muslims.
While the protests have provided strong opposition to the BJP’s plans, they now present a significant barrier to attempts to place India under social isolation. Not only do these large crowds present the threat of infection to people attending the protest, they place the entire city in danger as infected participants travel through it.
Resistance to eviction
On Monday, the first move was made to get protests to wind up. The Delhi government announced a restriction on gatherings with more than 50 people. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal confirmed that...
