In the wake of anti-CAA protests spread across the country, the women have assumed the forefront in a rather unprecedented manner. The occupation and holding of the ground by women of Shaheen Bagh has been an inspiration for women across the country to leave their houses and be the loudest voice of resistance, the ruling party needs today. The narrow streets of Shaheen Bagh are filled with women raising their voices against a religion based discrimination attempt of the central government through the passing of the CAA and the decision to have a pan India NRC. It has been more than a month since these women have been teaching the rest of the country the true meaning of a peaceful protest. Their numbers and will are steel-strong, that they remain undisturbed by the local police. The calls from Azadi coming from Muslim women are the most powerful narrative that India needs in tough times like today. From 65-year-old grandmothers to 16-year-old young girls, these women at the forefront of resistance has inspired the people of India and showed them the path to claim their rights in the democratic fabric of India.
The protest venue at Shaheen Bagh is not very comfortable like the Jantar Mantar. The men forming a human chain are the barricade, the women feeding their children are the protestors. This view is what everyone in a democratic nation ought to celebrate. It is the coming out of the true feminists in the protection of their identity, children’s future, and identity. With the chilling weather of Delhi, it must not have been easy but these women have a spine of steel and have shown the nation the right way to claim your rights. In a majoritarian rule of the Bhartiya Janta Party, the Muslim especially women and children should not be in their houses but rather reclaim the land of secular India. The visuals from Shaheen Bagh will give one goosebump, as these women stand out as true patriots to sing the national anthem on the new years’ eve. When the Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, and Christians share the same ground, sitting side by side to offer prayers to their lord without. After the freedom struggle of 1947, many call this resistance movement as Freedom Struggle 2.0 where the women are leading us and there could have been no sight more pleasant. A true awakening of the feminists in India is visible in the protests of Shaheen Bagh in New Delhi and many other shaheen baghs which have emerged throughout the country.
The Modi-led Delhi Police was able to crackdown universities, peaceful protests and leading voices of the nation. Their inability to touch the strength of Shaheen Bagh says a lot in itself. Because what lies ahead of them is a powerful resistance of the working-class women, holding their children in one hand and the poster of Azaadi in other. The past thirty-four days should be imbibed in the history of democratic India as when women decided not to tolerate fascist and communal oppression anymore.
