Shaheen Bagh women express outrage over JNU attack, urge Modi, Shah not to ”communalise” their protest

By Naz Asghar
Jan 6, 2010
New Delhi: Sunday’s attack on JNU campus by masked goons has infused fresh vigour in the Shaheen Bagh women’s protests against CAA-NRC and police brutalites on jamia and AMU students, with more women joining the agitation, expressing their resolve not to be cowed down by what they called the ”Government’s attempts to silence the voices of justice.”

A large number of women attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and their party accusing them of trying to give a ”communal colour”to the protests and dared them to come and see for themselves that their supporters came from all communities.

There was a huge applause as CPI-M leaders Brinda Karat, taking at dig at Modi’s controversial ”see their clothes” remark about the protestors, said those who were trying to mislead the people that this agitation was being carried on only by Muslism, should see that here ”burqa bhi hai aur bindi bhi hai.”(here are both burqa clad women and women wearing bindi on their forehead.).

She condemned the JNU attack and said it was part of the ruling dispensation’s design to suppress to suppress the voice of students.

This Modi-Shah government was afraid of the growing unity of the masses. ”This government is afraid of an spectre, and this spectre was solidarity of the people–Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Christians and all other communities,” Ms Karat said.

Brinda Karat addressing Shaheen Bagh women protesters against NRC-CAA and university campus violence.

Karat’s speech was followed by that of vice president of All India Democratic Women’s Association Sehba Farooqui who said the women power had really been creating nightamres for the powers that be.

She said the attack on Jamia, AMU and JNU was part of a planning to weaken the institutions and especially those institution where students learnt to raise questions.

The gathering was also addressed by Secretary of AMU Old Boys Association Fauzia Rehman who is a lawyer by profession. Bucking up Shaheen Bagh women for sustaining their over three-week-old dharna, she said that their fight which had attracted world-wide attention had shown to all that women were no more a suppressed lot condemned to live a life only within the four walls of their home. ” What you have done, only you could have done.” she said as hundreds of women sitting on the floor with only a very scanty tent over their head in January chill, broke into applause.

Fauzia Rehman speaking at the Shaheen Bagh dharna by women.

Ailing octogenerian Azra Rizvi, daughter of famous progressive Urdu poet Ghulam Rabbani Taban, who had come in support of the protestors on a wheel chair along with sister Naheed Taban, had just one sentence to express her feeling when asked to say something–” Inquilab Zindabad.”

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Azra Rizvi at the protest site.

Several of the partcipants said that after Jamia and AMU, the attack on the JNU had really left them worried about the safety of their children who are sent to the institutions to study.

”After all what does the Modi Government want. Why is it not able to secure the life of the country’s sons and daughters. How can such thigs happen in a country where a democratically elected government is in power,” was the poser of Gul Bano, a housewife living in Shaheen Bagh.

Maryam, another housewife who is coordinating the protest said,” The police attack on Jamia, AMU and JNU was unacceptable in a democratic country. Whither is this country sliding to. It is asking proof of citizenship from people 80, 90 and 100 year olds. Has this government got no other business.”

”People have risen against these policies. We are coming here on our own. No one is leading this protest,” she added.

Shaheen Bagh women have been sitting on dharna since December 15 when police brutally attacked Jamia University students in their campus, not sparing even female students, for taking out protest march against CAA-NRC. Police had entered the campus after some of the protesters, who the Jamia Administration said were not the university students, indulged in arson setting afire public vehicles.

The University administration said the Police entered the campus without their permission. The Shaheen Bagh women’s protest began after the police action on Jamia students.

They are drawing support from Hindu and other communities as the composition of daily visitors to the protest from outside the area shows.

Their dharna is blocking the Kalindi Kunj road that leads to Noida. There are two views on their methods. While some of the residents of the area want the protestors not to block the road, some find it a good strategy to draw the Government attention to their demands.

Meanwhile, the Jamia Millia Islamia University reopened on Monday after winter vacation, and the proceedings on the campus went on peacefully, but students’ protest at the gate number 7 of the university continued with more enthusiasm.

Protest against JNU attack, which left over 30 students, including teachers injured, have been reported fron university campuses across India and abroad.

While the Government has ordered a probe into the JNU violence and said that culprits will be brought to book, the Oppoition has accused the Government itself of sponsoring the violence through ruling BJP’s students wing ABVP. The ABVP has in turn blamed the Left organisations for the violence.

–India News Stream