India has seen protests since December last year, when the Citizenship Amendment Act was enacted. (File)
A village on the outskirt of Ahmednagar town in Maharashtra has passed a resolution against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC) during a gram panchayat meeting.
A resident, Mahadev Gawli, who proposed the resolution during the meeting in Islak village which has a population of just about 2,000, said they will launch a non-cooperation movement if the Centre refuses to roll back the new citizenship law and NRC.
"Out of the 2,000 people here, 45 per cent of people belong to the Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and downtrodden sections. They do not have documents to prove their citizenship. We have sent a dossier to the Centre suggesting to make changes in the new law. If not done, we will organise a non-cooperation movement from here," he said.
Yogesh Gerange, a member of the Gram Panchayat, said: "The majority of the population here are tribals. They do not have caste certificates and are not able to get the benefits of the scheme launched by the government. They all have given assent on the resolution against CAA and NRC. These people will not be able to submit documents."
Protests broke out at several places across the country against the Citizenship Act and NRC last year. At Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi, protests have been ongoing since December 15.
The government enacted the Citizenship Amendment Act that makes it easier for non-Muslims migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh to become Indian citizens. Critics say that the law is against the secular principles of the country and is likely to pose a threat to the country's Muslim community when implemented in coordination with the National Register of Citizens.