India is going through its worst post-Independence phase, theatre veteran Bibhas Chakraborty said after leading a rally of stage fraternity against the CAA-NRC-NPR on Friday.

The rally started from Rashbehari Avenue and ended in front of the Academy of Fine Arts. A number of aged theatre veterans walked the entire stretch of 5km.

“I was born in pre-Independent India. My father was a Gandhian, my maternal uncles believed in armed rebellion. But that was a different time. Since Independence, this is the worst condition I have seen my country in,” Chakraborty, 83, told Metro.

“Getting 38 per cent votes does not give them the mandate to decide our fate. These people don’t understand the essence of democracy,” said the actor, playwright and director.

Though not big in numbers, the rally had the punch that befits an assembly of writers, actors and musicians. “Badhon joto shokto hobe, totoi badhon tutbe; jotoi aankhi rokto hobe, totoi aankhi phutbe (The tighter the shackles, the more likely they are to break; the redder their eyes, more open are our eyes),” read a giant banner at the front of the march.

The marchers swayed to the chorus of “No-NRC, tolo awaj (No NRC, raise your voice)” as the rally went past Hazra and Bhowanipore.

In front of the Academy, some veterans addressed the gathering, read out poems and sang songs of brotherhood and amity. “The students are not measured. Therein lies the beauty. They will not think twice before protesting against injustice,” said Chakraborty.

“Protest is the life and soul of theatre. We cannot sit quietly in these times,” said Ashok Mukhopadhyay, theatre veteran and former RBU professor.

Calling out the government for “discriminating against one community”, Mukhopadhyay said “Indians were equally fond of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi’s drive and Gundappa Viswanath’s late cut” and both “Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor had their legions of admirers”.

Elocutionist Bijoylakshmi Barman read out a poem, Kagoj (Paper), written by Angshuman Kar. The first few lines: “Aamar ekta kagoj chai. Ekta aloukik kagoj. Aamar ekta sada kalo kagoj ache. Se kagojtar naam voter card. Kintu sei kagoje hobe na. Aamar ekta gerua-sada-sobuj kagoj aache. Se kagojtar naam Aadhaar card. Kintu sei kagojeo hobe na… (I need a paper. A miracle paper. I have a black-and-white paper. It is called voter card. But that paper won’t do. I have a saffron-white-green paper. That is called Aadhaar card. But even that paper won’t do…).”

Koushik Chowdhury, 37, was one of the young faces in the rally. The theatre activist runs a campaign against the new citizenship drive and is one of the petitioners in the Supreme Court against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. His plea, along with a host of others, is expected to be taken up on January 22.

Chowdhury was walking with a bandaged left wrist and alleged that he was attacked by “BJP goons” while coming back from an anti-CAA-NRC-NPR rally on January 13. “But the fight has just begun. We are not going to step back,” he said on Friday.