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NORTH AmERIcAN Newsline MARCH 26, 2021 | The Indian Eye 28

Chicago City Council shoots down

resolution critical of India’s Caa

Dr. Bharat Barai and several Indian-Americans organized a campaign against the resolution

Our Bureau
Chicago, IL

he Chicago City Council,
one of the most powerful
Tcity councils in the US af-
ter New York, has voted against
a resolution critical of India’s
Citizenship (Amendment) Act
and the human rights situation
in the country.
“Many members of the coun-
cil felt uncomfortable (in voting
in favor of the resolution) be-
cause we don’t know the ins and
out of what’s going on there on Dr. Bharat Barai
the ground in India,” Chicago
Mayor Lori Lightfoot told re- divisive. “I am not in support mation for him on this issue. to be further examined, he
porters last Wednesday. of this item. This is a very divi- Alderman Jason Ervin said, demanded. Hadden said her
The resolution was rejected sive issue.” “As a city, we must focus our resolution was based on the
by a 26-18 vote. “My office was reached by energies on challenges and feedback from her South
According to the CAA, thousands of people communi- problems that we have here... Asian constituents. “Here we
members of non-Muslim com- cating with us overwhelmingly Majority of constituents (Indi- strive and we don’t always hit
munities who have come to In- in opposition to this resolution. an community in Ward 28) are the mark on our values. We’ve
dia from Pakistan, Bangladesh The Consul General of India not in support of this resolu- gone through several recent
and Afghanistan till December has reached out to me. That is tion. I think we have more than years of really missing the mark
31, 2014, and facing religious how much it impacts the broad- enough work in the city of Chi- when it comes to freedom of
persecution there will not be er community and broader dis- cago - to talk about oppression, religious expression; we’ve
treated as illegal immigrants, cussion. I ask my colleagues to to talk about racism, to talk gone through a pretty fraught
and be given Indian citizen- vote ‘No’ in this item,” Lopez about other issues that impact time very recently,” she said.
ship. Lightfoot said it is for the said. the members of the communi- Hadden argued that the
federal Biden administration Ahead of the resolution, the ty.” purpose of the resolution is to
to make comments or pass a Indian Consulate in Chicago is “People have the right to hold a fellow democracy ac-
judgement on such issues and also believed to have reached propose any type of resolution, countable. “That’s really the
not for the local city govern- out to the mayor and all 50 they wish, but unfortunately spirit of why we should be con-
ments. Aldermen of the Chicago City we cannot support (it),” Ervin necting on similar issues in our
“What you saw was reluc- Council. Alderman George A said. sister countries,” she said.
tance on the part of the city Cardenas asked if India is be- Chicago-based eminent In- During the outreach by
council to weigh in on an is- ing debated in the City Council dian-American Dr. Bharat Ba- the consulate and the Indi-
sue so far away that many did of Chicago, why not the Chi- rai welcomed the decision of an-American community, most
not feel that they had enough nese Uighur cleansing. the Chicago City Council. Aldermen had no background
information,” she said in re- “Why not on Israel-Palestine Dr. Barai, who along with knowledge on any issues men-
sponse to a question, adding conflict? How about Boko Ha- several Indian-Americans had tioned in the resolution. “We
that there are so many pressing ram and Nigeria and exploita- organized a campaign against consistently reached out to all
issues in the city of Chicago. tion of women? If we go on the anti-CAA resolution, al- the 50 aldermen. We expressed
“What I say sitting here as like this there are many global leged that the Council on our views against the decisive
the mayor of Chicago is, I’m issues. We have many pressing American Islamic Relations agenda of the resolution,” said
not going to get ahead of the issues here at home that need (CAIR) was behind the efforts community leader Amitabh
Biden administration,” she our attention. We are to unite to pass the resolution that was Mittal.
said. communities,” he said. sponsored by Alderman Maria “CAIR should stay away
Alderman Raymond A Lo- Alderman David M Moore Hadden. from India’s internal politics,”
pez described the resolution as said there is not enough infor- The role of CAIR needs he said.

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