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

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 states ruling coalition Maha Vikas Aghadi brings an official notificationresolution 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 trafficFour states mdash Punjab Kerala West Bengal and Rajasthan mdash have passed resolutions against the Act so farThe lane called Morland Road is decked out with carpets mats antiCAA 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 BaghOur 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 61yearold woman on SundayA woman protester seen at Mumbai Bagh on FridayShe 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 Its just that we dont have an optionKazi 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 existenceTeens take the leadThe 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 leadTeenage 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 saidChildren draw posters at Mumbai BaghVolunteers were seen educating about how the CAANRCNPR 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 saidLawyer 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 saidFocus on accessibilityWhile the protesters gather on the lanes 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 saidPolice warningThe Mumbai Bagh sign seen at Morland RoadA handful of women have been staging a sitin at Nagpada since January 26 night but did not seek permission They have blocked the road and traffic The lane where these hijabclad 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 addedJan 26Day Mumbai Bagh protest beganCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates