Women Activists in India Still Face Detention and Police Intimidation After Anti-CAA Protests – By Nikita Jain, Kasturi Chakraborty
“I never imagined that my identity as a Muslim would make me fear for my life,” said activist Zainab Siddiqui, 31. In January 2020, Siddiqui attended a sit-in demonstration at the base of the Ghanta Ghar, a historic clock tower rising above the city of Lucknow…. The demonstration was held peacefully by hundreds, led by women, in protest against the new Citizen Amendment Act (CAA)….
Siddiqui volunteered to help organize event logistics…. However, a few months later, in November 2020, UP police came to Siddiqui’s home on the pretext of questioning her about her involvement in the protest, but later, they told her that they needed to bring her in for interrogation. When she refused, the police violently shoved and dragged her. When Siddiqui’s father and brother intervened, they were arrested on the same accusations. Siddiqui was not arrested.
While Siddiqui’s younger brother was given bail the next day, her father remained in police custody. According to the first information report (FIR)… filed by UP police and obtained by Women Under Siege, Siddiqui’s father was charged with “promoting enmity between different groups” and committing “acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony.”…
