The Biggest Narrative Emerging Out Of The CAA Protests Is That Women Have Voices, We’re Fierce And We’ll Protest
I don’t mean to sound dramatic. Fuck that, I actually do mean to sound dramatic. The past few days are going to reshape the history of India. There is a major chance that the fabric of our country, its people and the government, will never be the same again. And in many ways, I am glad. If this is the fabric, this needs to disintegrate.
That India has been going through a political turmoil for quite some time now is not new, but perhaps no one had anticipated the tables to turn as quickly as they have, or even in this manner, ever since the Citizenship Amendment Act has been instated in place of the Citizenship Act 1955. The country that at present doesn’t just find itself divided but also the anger against the communal divide is simmering. The average citizen is showing up and not slowing down. Which is all great. And while big voices have participated, unfortunately, the bigger voices have not. The silence that Bollywood has maintained is deafening.
Then again, the voices that are considered meek and soft – the women- are coming out in large numbers and there’s no stopping them. We’re so glad.
End of the day it's a business. They have nothing to do with our society.#ShameonBollywood pic.twitter.com/du6YhqDqRQ
— Amandeep Pillania (@APillania) December 17, 2019
Headlining the movement we have thousands of women coming to the forefront to raise their voices and concern, fighting against the system – they’re warriors in their own right. This would probably be the first time, and in such great numbers that India’s women, who have shown immense strength, courage and patriotism not for any religion, are showing up and making their voices heard.
"They tell women to stay at home and not speak up, but speak up we must. Nobody can take our voice"- 22 year old Ayesha Renna & Ladeeda Farzana -Sheroes from 2 viral images from #Jamia, one in which they save their male friend from lathis, speak to me about Women Leading protests pic.twitter.com/xc2jvO4iUZ
— barkha dutt (@BDUTT) December 16, 2019
From social activist Medha Patkar, promising people a better tomorrow and not backing down from being on ground to stand alongside the protesters, to women students namely Ayesha Renna and Ladeeda Sakhaloon from Jamia Millia who have now become the poster girls for this movement, women are at the forefront and leading by example. Journalist Barkha Dutt also took to her social media to highlight how in this movement, women’s voices has become symbolic to the voice of reason and that there is no stopping them now. Videos, clips, images all that have been surfacing from parts of Delhi, Assam, Mumbai and other areas show how these women have decided to stand together to shield their right to be called Indian. The video of women shielding fellow male students as they are being beaten up by the cops in midst of the protests is only slightly short of becoming iconic.
Mizoram strongly oppose CAA/CAB. #CABProtests #NoCAA
📷 Rinzauva Sailo pic.twitter.com/DUEEuhyuSi
— Sp Ngente (@Chelsea_Ngente) December 16, 2019
Similarly, not one but thousands of women have participated in this march against CAA from across the spectrum from Assam to Delhi and everywhere in between. Homemakers to students to activists to celebrities have become part of the movement. Famous Assamese actress Barasha Rani also took the stand and said, “We are simple and plain people but not fools. We know what has been done to us, we can’t tolerate this. I want to ask Home Minister Amit Shah what happened to your promise of chasing away every ‘ghuspethiya’? You failed miserably and now you want to bring more ‘ghuspethia’?”
And whether or not, this act is taken down or upheld (!), these women will become the voices of resilience, fearlessness and their gallantry to stand for their rights will forever be etched in our memory. Their march today will immortalise as women across the nation as not just a mere prop people that you can confine within walls, but as ferocious citizens who know how and when to stand up for they believe in, and for that we wish them more power.
