Protesters unveil song for Modi, invite him to Shaheen Bagh

Demonstrators to pay respects to families of Pulwama attack martyrs today

Inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to come to Shaheen Bagh and speak to the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protesters, a song “Tum Kab Aaoge” was launched at the protest site on the eve of Valentine’s Day.

“We are not going to celebrate Valentine’s Day. This is just an invitation to the PM to come here on some excuse, if not other… To talk of love if nothing else,” a speaker announced to the crowd.

While the song was meant to be released on Friday, it was advanced to Thursday since February 14 also marks one year of Pulwama attack. Protesters, on Friday, will pay respects to the families of soldiers who were killed in the attack.

On Thursday, there were back-to-back performances. A rock band played a song with the chorus of “Modi Tum Kab Aaoge”, which was joined in by many in the audience. The song paid tribute to the protests against the CAA and the NRC as well.

“Everyone has been sitting here for nearly two months now,” said Karishma, an organiser speaking to the crowd. “The sound of this protest has reverberated not just in the city but in the entire country. People across the world are talking about it. Media has come. Elections have come and gone. But the person we want to come has not come here,” she said. She prompted the crowd to answer “Should he come or should he not come to Shaheen Bagh?” To this, scores of protesters present there cheered in the affirmative.

Gift for Modi

Following the performance, some old women who have been part of the protest unveiled a “gift” for the Prime Minister, a giant red stuffed teddy bear. Organisers said they would install the stuffed toy here for the Prime Minister to come and collect when he arrives to talk to the protesters.

Earlier, the protesters had also organised a “Postcard to the PM” exercise wherein hundreds of people wrote postcards to Mr. Modi, highlighting their opposition to the CAA and inviting him to come to Shaheen Bagh.

Almost two months since protesters here started their demonstration, occupying a national highway and cutting off the road to traffic, a senior government official or leader is yet to meet them despite this being a demand they have been making since demonstrations started.

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