The women of Shaheen Bagh haven’t only become the voice of resistance but have also given the movement a great impetus. They are bravely resisting one of the coldest winters in the national capital of the country to protest against the new citizenship law.
Even though the temperature dropped to it’s lowest point, the women of Shaheen Bagh were not deterred. Armed with thick blankets, warm cups of tea and songs of resistance, they continue to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) till date.
The straightforward demand of the women of Shaheen Bagh is the withdrawal of CAA, which according to them is an act highly discriminatory in nature. They also claim that the act violates the basic ideals of the Constitution.
Syeda Hameed, founder of Delhi based Muslim Women’s Forum said, “These women are not activists. They are ordinary Muslim women, many of them homemakers, who are protesting against the government for the secularism of their country.”
As a matter of fact, while many protests have come and gone, and some have even descended into violence, the site at Shaheen Bagh has till date remained consistently occupied and peaceful. It is this peaceful yet resistant nature of this place that has drawn the attention of many.
Shaheen Bagh sits 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. To comment on the condition of Shaheen Bagh, a local shopkeeper said, “It’s affecting our business”, while a resident who works in Noida said, “It now takes me double the time to get to work.”
However, just like every coin has two sides, so does this one. A lot of shopkeepers have come out in solidarity with the women of Shaheen Bagh and some have even aided them with food. Some rickshaw pullers have shown their support to the movement by offering free rickshaw rides to the protesters at Shaheen Bagh. As this protest has grown, it has drawn people’s attention from across the city, from students to even political commentators.
It is highly commendable of the women who are protesting against the government at Shaheen Bagh in a peaceful, organised and respectful manner.It might not be a surprise if this protest comes out to be named as a “women’s protest” someday.
