The Shaheen Bagh protest, on now for more than a month, has made it to the headlines due to its unique nature. The women of Shaheen Bagh, a Muslim dominated area, haven’t only become the voice of resistance but have also given the movement a great impetus.
More than 5,000 women, men and children are staging a sit-in at the Mansoor Ali Khan Park to voice their dissent against the law. They are bravely resisting one of the coldest winters in the national capital to protest against the law.
The women were not deterred even though the temperature of dropped to its lowest point. The women, armed with thick blankets warm cups of tea and songs of resistance, continue their protest.
The straightforward demand of the woman is the scarping of the legislation which they termed as ‘highly discriminatory’ in nature. The protestors claimed that the act violates the basic ideals of the Indian Constitution.
Shaheen Bagh is located on the border between Eastern Delhi and Noida and serves as a crucial link for commuters; hence, not everyone is happy with the condition there.
People come out in solidarity
Numbers of shopkeepers came out in solidarity with the protestors and aided them with food. A group of Sikh men and part of a farmers’ union, who came all the way from Punjab also joined the women of Shaheen Bagh. “We have come here to show solidarity against the act,” one of the group members said.
It needs to be mentioned that Uttar Pradesh saw massive and violent anti-Citizenship Act protests and the subsequent police crackdown in December 2019 where more than 20 people were killed during the protests. But, the Shaheen Bagh protests inspired women of other parts of the country and similar protests have started in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh now.
On January 14th, 2020, the protesters even celebrated ‘Makar Sankranti’ by cooking ‘khichdi’ at the protest venue itself and shared it among themselves. Some women went for a holy dip at the Sangam and returned to get their faces painted with the tricolour.
Assam too witnessed peaceful protests
The protests against the legislation in Assam have been also staged in a peaceful and democratic way. People staged their protests through music, literature, paintings and many other ways. A total of five youths were killed during the anti-CAA protests in the state. People staged sit-in demonstration also demanding the withdrawal of the act for the interest of the Assamese community.
The protests started in Assam on December 11th, 2020 after the Citizenship Amendment Bill was passed by the parliament. Later, the protest spread to other parts of the country.
Photo credit: Hindustan Times
