Woman loses infant, returns to stir for u2018 future of all kidsu2019 New Delhi: Four- month- old Mohammed Jahaan accompanied his mother almost every day to the Shaheen Bagh demonstration where he was a favourite with the protesters who would take turns to hold him and often draw the tricolour on his cheeks.
Jahaan will not be seen at Shaheen Bagh anymore. He died last week after acquiring a severe cold and congestion following exposure to the winter chill at the outdoor demonstration. His mother is, however, undeterred and determined to fight for the rights of the people and u201c for the future of my childrenu201d. The infantu2019s shattered parents, Mohammed Arif and Nazia, live in a tiny shanty put together with plastic sheets and cloth in Batla House area and have two other children u2014 a five- year- old daughter and a one- year- old son. Hailing from Bareilly in UP, the couple is barely able to make ends meet.
Arif is an embroidery worker and also drives an e- rickshaw.
His wife helps him in his embroidery work.
u201c I havenu2019t been able to earn enough in the last month despite driving the battery rickshaw in addition to my embroidery work. Now with our babyu2019s demise, we have lost everything,u201d he said, showing a picture of little Jahaan wearing a woolen cap that read u2018 I Love My Indiau2019. A visibly disturbed Nazia said Jahaan passed away in his sleep on night of January 30.
u201c I had returned from Shaheen Baag at around 1 am. After putting him and other kids to sleep, even I went to sleep. In the morning, I suddenly found him motionless. He was gone in his sleep,u201d she said.
The couple said they took their motionless baby to the nearby Alshifa Hospital on the morning of January 31 where he was declared dead on arrival.
Nazia, who had been visiting the Shaheen Bagh demonstration everyday with Jahaan since December 18, says that he died after catching a cold that turned lethal. She said she didnu2019t realise that his congestion was so severe.
Arif, however, blamed NRC and CAA for his childu2019s death.
u201c Had the government not brought CAA and NRC, people would not have protested and my wife would not have joined them, my son would have been alive,u201d he said. A gencies act at Jamia nagar, Shaheen Bagh Mohammed Arif and Nazia with one of their surviving children at their residence in Batla House, New Delhi, on Monday. pic/ pti Rapid Action Force sent to Shaheen Bagh area After three firing incidents, Rapid Action Force was on Monday deployed near Shaheen Bagh area. The Delhi police have said that the deployment is a routine affair.
Meanwhile, former Delhi MLA Nand Kishore Garg has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the authorities to remove the Shaheen Bagh protesters.
The plea has sought laying down of comprehensive and exhaustive guidelines related to outright restrictions for holding protests leading to obstruction of public place.
It said the law enforcement machinery was being u201c held hostage to the whims and fancies of the protestersu201d who have blocked movement on the road.
u2018 Why was I doing this? For my children and the children of all of us who need a bright future in this country. The CAA divides us on religion and should never be acceptedu2019 Nazia, infantu2019s mother
