New Year’s Eve turns into ‘Azadi Night’ at Jamia Milia; students and locals sing songs to protest against CAA

It was different kind of new years eve at gate number 7of Jamia Milia Islamia University, students whose first preference in Delhi or any other metro is always to go to different pubs in South Delhi and Connaught Place to enjoy and shake their legs were singing patriotic songs and demanding Azadi (freedom)from CAA and NRC.

Students and locals started gathering at Jamia to celebrate ‘the Azadi Night’ from 9 pm. Some locals were distributing biryani and students were busy chanting slogans, raising banners. Students from various universities continued coming till midnight and they were so full of energy that they did not mind walking about half a kilometre from Julena in the freezing night. To ensure smooth traffic, students divided the single road with a rope so that traffic from both side could move and student volunteers stood in between to ensure smooth passage.

There were different groups who sang different revolutionary songs like “Hum Dekhenge, Laazim hai ke hum bhi dekhenge’(we will see and definitely we will also see). Ankur, whose whole family is into music, sang different revolutionary songs. Ankur’s son Anshul was full of energy and shouted slogans while singing songs. Young girls with their relatives or friends came in large numbers.

Students and elders present there appeared to be least affected by the biting cold. They were shouting slogans and shaking legs on every note of the songs.

At the stroke of midnight when people in the country were bursting crackers, dancing in pubs or enjoying on roads, the students and the other present at Jamia were singing national anthem.

When NH asked several youths about the CAA or NRC, they came across as fully aware of both of the laws and said they were not there to enjoy but the issue is very important for the country as it is directly connected to our Constitution and the idea of India.

The banner on the stage read ‘New Year Resolution’ they just wrote ‘v’ over ‘s’of resolution which made it ‘New Year Revolution’. At the bottom of the banner was written ‘The Azadi Night’ (The Freedom Night). The whole protest which has no particular leader was well managed and people present there were genuinely concerned. It in a way symbolised the real spirit of India and conveyed that it’s high time the government reached out to the students and protesters.

In Shaheen Bagh area of Okhla also, people celebrated the new year in similar way by singing patriotic songs and demanding the withdrawal of CAA and proposed NRC. At both the places, a large number of people from all communities and walks of life had gathered and stayed there till midnight shouting slogans for ‘Azadi’ from CAA and proposed NRC and Inquilab Zindabad.