Shaheen Bagh protest: Women say they aren’t budging

NEW DELHI: It was usual business at Shaheen Bagh when an armed man opened fire a few metres away from the tent, which has turned home to several thousand women for the past 49 days.
A contingent of Sikh speakers from Punjab was on the mic, calling for unity, when the sound of gunshots pierced the air around 5pm on Saturday.
The seconds after it were a blur as several women scrambled out of the tent. They walked in the direction of the shooter, unaware of the danger, but also unafraid. When they found out what had happened, their response was measured but strong. They formed a human chain at the shooting spot.
When TOI visited the site, the women were standing together, holding hands, supporting the elderly, and aiding the men in their vigil, wary of strangers in the area. Some of them also offered namaz on the road, praying for “peace and solidarity”. But Shaheen Bagh’s collective answer to the gunman who shouted “only Hindus will rule India” was the national anthem and chants of Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Isayi, apas mein hain bhai bhai.
“We know these are attempts to scare away the protesters, especially ahead of the assembly elections. But we will not budge,” said Iqra, who reached the spot just minutes after the shooting.
The young woman also questioned the police’s inability to catch the perpetrators. “The entrance to the area from Jasola Vihar Metro Station is blocked at two points. The shooter had crossed the first layer of the barricades and fired in the air a few metres away from the main stage. How has this become so normal?” she asked.
Razia, a 70-year-old woman, clutching the hand of her daughter-in-law, was an image of determination. Her frail body was bent, but she put herself in the frontline. “I have been sitting in the tent for over a month. But I came here 2 hours ago when I heard about the shooting. We are not scared of the bullets and will always be the first in the line of defence against the divisive forces,” she said.
Around 7.30pm, the official Twitter handle of the protest site also issued an appeal. “The women of #shaheenbagh call for urgent mobilisation for 2nd February 2020. We will not be deterred by threats from Right-Wing groups in our fight to protect the Constitution. Please join us (sic),” it said. The appeal also pointed to the “unverified” threats that have been posted on several social media platforms, where people claiming to be from the Hindu Sena said they would “clear” the Shaheen Bagh road on February 2.
Upasana, a resident of Bijnor who came to Delhi to join the protest on January 19, questioned the people in power, “The ministers keep calling for traitors to be shot. I’d like to ask them who’s a traitor? Those who sit peacefully in protests, or those who incite violence?” she asked.
On Sunday, the sit-in at Shaheen Bagh will enter the 50th day. The shooting did ruffle feathers, especially as it came just two days after a student of Jamia Millia Islamia was shot at a few kilometres away from the neighbourhood. But the women’s resolve remained unshakeable. As a protester articulated, the women are alert about the possibility of trouble, but are not “troubled” by it.