'Pass resolution against CAA, we will move out,' say women protestors

While women are at the forefront of the protest, men provide support by managing the crowd. Pics/ Ashish Raje

The women sitting on a dharna for the past eight days in Madanpura against the CAA, NRC and NPR, have refused to budge until the state's ruling coalition, Maha Vikas Aghadi, brings an official notification/resolution in the Assembly against the controversial Act. They say they will stay put for as long as it takes, even as the zonal deputy commissioner of police has warned of strict action against the women for blocking traffic.

Four states - Punjab, Kerala, West Bengal and Rajasthan - have passed resolutions against the Act so far.

The lane, called Morland Road, is decked out with carpets, mats, anti-CAA posters and artwork. While young women keep up the chants of 'Azaadi' and 'Halla Bol', older women sit on plastic chairs and wooden benches at one side, and senior men occupy another part of the lane. Many come to drop off their family members. A lone police van stands guard at the entrance of the lane. A CCTV camera has been installed outside the Arabia hotel nearby. Above it is a piece of cardboard with the words 'Welcome to Mumbai Bagh'.

"Our main demand is that the MVA bring out an official notification stating that they will not implement the CAA in Maharashtra. If they bring out the resolution tomorrow, we will vacate the place immediately. But till that happens, we will be at the forefront of the fight," said a 61-year-old woman on Sunday.

A woman protester seen at Mumbai Bagh on Friday

She explained how they have no option but to bring the kids as the mothers are at the protest. "It is not by choice that we want our kids to see all of this. It's just that we don't have an option."

Kazi Munira, 45, a Madanpura resident, said: "I have all my papers, I am not worried. My father has his birth certificate from 1945. But why should I show any of these to prove my citizenship? And to those who have weaponised democracy and hijacked the country? If Modi and Shah want to see my papers, then they will have to come and sit with me and ask me for them. Either they will leave the country or I will. This is a fight for our existence."

Teens take the lead

The protesters at Mumbai Bagh never let the enthusiasm flag and unlike other protests where designated people address the crowd, here, many, including teenagers, sloganeer and take the lead.

Teenage girls and young women, who were not a part of the organising team, were seen maintaining the momentum. From 'Inquilab Zindabad' to 'Hum kaagaz nahin dikhayenge', many recited original poems and slogans. Children drew posters that later find a place on the walls. Ayesha Athania, 15, was composing a poem with her friends. "We have been watching the news on Shaheen Bagh and the Jamia shooting. We are trying to spread awareness through our poems. This protest is not just for Muslim women, but for everyone," she said.

Children draw posters at Mumbai Bagh

Volunteers were seen educating about how the CAA-NRC-NPR are discriminatory. Shams Zohra, 43, a professor, was present with her four children. "I come from a family of freedom fighters. My grandfather went to prison during the freedom struggle. It is our duty to fight for our rights and secure the future of our children," she said.

Lawyer Swati Singh spent the day telling people about the ways to oppose the Act. "There is a need for better understanding of the act and the options for legal recourse," she said.

'Focus on accessibility'

While the protesters gather on the lane's left side, its right side has a footpath. A group of men manage the crowd and request bystanders to move ahead. "We all have the same message, the women are the ones doing the talking," Haji Dawood Noormohammed Angloria said.

Police warning

The Mumbai Bagh sign seen at Morland Road

"A handful of women have been staging a sit-in at Nagpada since January 26 night but did not seek permission. They have blocked the road and traffic. The lane where these hijab-clad women are protesting has been barricaded on both ends. Police officers, including those in plain clothes, have been deployed there," zonal deputy commissioner of police Abhinash Kumar said. "As the protesters have blocked traffic, causing inconvenience to others, strict action will be taken against them. They are liable to be punished under relevant sections of the IPC and Bombay Police Act," Kumar added.

Jan 26
Day Mumbai Bagh protest began

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