That’s a ‘Sign’!: How Placards Communicated Disapproval of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in India

Abstract

ABSTRACT India witnessed massive rallies and protest marches in response to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a controversial 2019–2020 legislation that grants citizenship to all migrants except Muslims coming illegally from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. As people turned to creative means of voicing their opinions, placards became important tools of questioning the government and the bill. Based on framing and the vernacular rhetoric of social movements, this study examined how placards used in anti-CAA movement in India expressed their disapproval of the discriminatory law. In an era of digital activism, this study attempts to emphasize the relevance of traditional media, especially the media of the protest emanating from the anti-CAA movement.