The heads of some of Calcutta’s leading schools will participate in a walk against the CAA-NRC and the use of force to stifle dissent.

A meeting at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, chaired by the bishop of the Calcutta diocese of the Church of North India and attended by over 200 school principals, priests and church workers, took the decision.

The walk will be held on January 20. A preparatory meeting is scheduled on January 13.

“The walk will be from St Paul’s Cathedral to the Gandhi statue on Mayo Road. Heads of churches, priests, school principals and also ordinary Christians will participate in the walk. There will be no slogan-shouting but there will be kirtan,” said Reverend Paritosh Canning, the bishop of the Calcutta diocese of the Church of North India.

“People of all communities are welcome,” he added.

At the meeting, which lasted almost two hours, the mood was of “concern” and “anxiety”. Many of those present later said that several participants had “expressed their disappointment and resentment” at the turn of events in the country.

“The way the government is moving, the danger ahead is not just for one minority (community) but all minorities. It is both a protest against the NRC and the CAA and a show of support for the people affected by the clampdown on dissent by the police and the government,” said Terence Ireland, principal of St James’ School.

The diocese runs the La Martiniere schools, St James’, Pratt Memorial, the St Thomas’ schools and the Union Chapel School.

Invitations will be sent also to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Calcutta, the Assembly of God Church and the Baptist Church, some of whose representatives were present at Friday’s meeting.

“We will be sending letters to schools and churches. This walk is the beginning. We have taken the initiative and will continue this,” the bishop said.

The principal of a south Calcutta school who was at the meeting later said: “How can a secular country like India have a citizenship act based on religion? We are not in favour of infiltration but the methodology to contain or curb it cannot be based on religion.”