Among the over 10,000 students who chanted slogans in Calcutta on Saturday and declared their refusal to show papers to prove their citizenship was an elderly Sikh gentleman who said “if the government has spine, it would listen to this”.

Walking in measured steps with a stoop, he was too shy to be photographed or named. He added: “I have joined the walk because I don’t support the move that is being planned. We will now have to prove that we are citizens of a country where we were born?…

“Why are these students walking here? Can’t you see them? If the government has spine, it will listen to this.”