Author and activist on why the women of Shaheen Bagh are protesting against the discriminatory trio of CAA-NPR-NRC.
I am woman, every Indian woman
I am here; for I am the need of this time now
I am here, for I am citizen of my land
I am the guardian of my world now.
I am on every crossroads.
To every ground
I lay claim, for it is my Hindustan. Now.
I am Hindu and yes Muslim too
I wear a bindi and hijab too
I pray to Ishwar and to Allah too
Our children’s smiles, our children’s pain
They are the same too
You are different and different are your saffron glasses
All alone you chant your oath of breaking the country now.
Your posters say – save the girl child
So why these sticks and tear gas shells?
Who are the attackers now?
When the police spit curses at us
Did you come as saviours, split their heads open now?
Now I shall speak. You listen; over a cup of tea
Will you hear my submission now?
For when the heart is wounded, a person awakes
In search of balm, a storm of pain awakes
When there’s talk of autumn, the garden awakes
When it’s about our land, the nation awakes
The djinn has left the bottle, you can’t coax it in now
This road we have chosen, it will not change now
