Jafrabad Women Leave Protest Site; NCW Visits Area To Talk To Them

Two days after the women of Jafrabad vacated the site underneath the Jafrabad metro station in Northeast Delhi which they had captured to protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Commission of Women's Chief Rekha Sharma visited the locality today. The main focus of Sharma's visit was to talk to women, understand their concerns particularly related to the recent violent attacks that happened in the nearby areas leading to several deaths and unrest.

Accompanied by two members Sharma visited Jafrabad to take notes and find out about any assault and grievances of women. After circling the area, Sharma told ANI, "There is a little tension here but overall the atmosphere is peaceful. I'll come again tomorrow."

#DelhiViolence: The Chairperson of the National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma, along with two members to visit the Jaffrabad area to take notes and findings of any grievance or assault on women during the violence. (file pic) pic.twitter.com/XYPjhXsjEk

— ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2020

Also read: Shaheen Bagh Protestors Proven Right; Police Opens Route Briefly

Dr Rajulben Desai, the NCW member who accompanied Sharma, in Jafrabad and Maujpur area told SheThePeople, "We went to Jafrabad, Maujpur area today and spoke to the women over there. However, after talking to the police, we got to know that staying there for long could be risky. We will visit the area again tomorrow."

After meeting the women today in our discussions with them, we got to know that the locality has become much more peaceful now, says Desai. "Women said that they could finally move out of their houses now to buy vegetables and for other work. When their children also go out, they don't feel fear anymore. We also met the women residing in stations for a very long time and we are planning to shift them to old age homes, shelters, etc. Women also shared their grievances of what happened when the attack took place," she adds.

On atrocities against women in Jafrabad, Desai stated, "During the violence, a lot of women also called the police and complained that they were feeling unsafe within their houses but if something has happened with women, such cases haven't been recorded with the police as yet." She confirmed that the team will again go to Jafrabad tomorrow to continue their discussion with women there.

Women left the Jafrabad metro station and Maujpur Chowk on February 25, confirmed the Delhi Police Special Commissioner Satish Golcha adding that the 66 Futa road is clear of all protests, HT reported.

Also read: Sadaf Jafar Addresses Women’s Indefinite Sit-in At Seelampur-Jafrabad

However, women retorted that they are only shifting the protest temporarily. "We will restore the sit-in once the situation is under control," a protestor told HT. Another protestor, Naushad, "As the situation escalated since Sunday, police and locals vacated the road outside the Jafrabad metro station. We also asked the outsiders, who were creating issues in the area, to leave."

The Jafrabad women's protest was going on for over two months now and due to the violence that recently broke out in the area, the women had to vacate the area. However, they have now gone to the main Seelampur road, about two kilometres from the protest site in Jafrabad, to continue with their protest.

Picture credit- ANI