In 2019 a wave of protests broke out in various parts of the world against inequality, authoritarianism and violence. India also saw a spate of protests. The enactment of the undemocratic Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens which sought to fundamentally redefine the criterion of citizenship, making it contingent on religious identity and the possession of legacy documents saw an outbreak of protests in all parts of the country.
In a country like India with very limited digital reach, solidarity is based on physical human contact, walking together in rallies, creating barricades and being present in large numbers on the streets. The physicality of the site thus emerges as central to enacting or visibilizing solidarity. At a moment like this, the challenge that Covid-19 poses with the essential requirement of physical distancing between humans, not accessing public places etc. raises challenges to the solidarity so far seen across the country.
The need to recede from the streets, and from each other could therefore be a moment of critical disjuncture, when the pandemic and its preventive measures obstructs such solidarity building. But can it also force us to think of ways in which movements can persist without physical gatherings? Can it make us rethink traditional movements beyond the materiality of the site?
