Hundreds and thousands of students across the country stood up in solidarity with JNU students who were attacked by masked men on January 5. Reportedly, the mob beat up faculty members, students who were protesting and left many bleeding in the campus.
Student protests were held in universities across the world– from Jadavpur University in Kolkata to Oxford Univesity in the United Kingdom. Another protest was held on Carter Road in Mumbai, which saw Bollywood celebrities like Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Taapsee Pannu, and Richa Chadha among others. While some showed up in Mumbai, some voiced their opinion on their social media platforms. Deepika Padukone, however, became the first celebrity to join students’ protests at JNU in Delhi. Amid all that seems to be going wrong, a positive that we can see is–once again, it took a woman to lead the charge. Not just JNU, women have also been leading the anti-CAA protests from the front.
Pictures of many brave women (like you and me) from these protests have already gone viral, and have already become an iconic image of the powerful role that women are playing in the movement. Throughout these anti-CAA protests that have brought Lebanon to a halt, here’s how country’s women are positioning themselves at the front line of protests.
When Indulekha Showed Us The Meaning Of Being Secular
Last month, the picture of a girl wearing hijab and holding a placard that read, ‘Mr Modi, I am Indulekha. Identify me by my dress?’ went viral. The brave girl was lauded for her sharp wit but was also trolled brutally. Responding to the reactions, she said, “I am not scared. If we have our family with me, we don’t have to fear at all. However, my parents are worried after my photograph went viral”.
The 17-year-old is a first-year law student at the Government Law College in Ernakulam, Kerala.
Mothers Join Protests Along With Their Little Ones
The protest in Shaheen Bagh is being mostly led by women. Going on for over three weeks now, the protests have been peaceful as women held the fort round the clock. From elderly sitting day and night to new mothers fighting the biting cold of Delhi– Shaheen Bagh is no longer just a protest ground but has also turned into a sight of inspiration for many.
Some women even brought their children to the protest site to make their resistance count. Here’s a video of one such courageous woman who voiced her dissent.
Ayesha Ranna & Ladeeda, Who Put Up A Brave Face Against Police Brutality In Jamia
How can we forget the two young ladies in their twenties– Ayesha Renna and Ladeeda who were hailed for putting up a brave face against police brutality in Jamia Millia Islamia. In the video that went viral, we saw these two warning the policeman not to hit the man crouching behind them.
How to rescue a victim during a #lynching incident.
Real life demo by women students of #Jamia— Natasha Badhwar (@natashabadhwar) December 15, 2019
We need a word like ‘Sheroes’ in our dictionaries for these women who have shown resilience and courage, mobilising and campaigning. Their voices now are louder and we are glad nothing is stopping them from harnessing their collective power for the benefit of the movement.
Featured Image: Twitter
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