A usual day at the protest site in Shaheen Bagh will see women, children and men taking over this makeshift podium, and chanting slogans or singing songs to show support and solidarity.
Hunger, in the anti-CAA protests, has come to symbolise a powerful message: The longer the fast, the stronger the resolve. “Mahatma Gandhi was on a hunger strike for 15 days during the freedom struggle,” Abidin tells us.” [Social activist] Anna Hazare did it [during the anti-corruption movement in 2011] for 10 days. [Delhi Chief Minister] Arvind Kejriwal did it for 14 days [against inflated water and power bills]. We have broken all records. Today is my 27th day. I don’t know how long it will go on for. But I will carry on.”Ironically, he doesn’t touch a single morsel, and hasn’t done so for almost a month.
"I have been living with a fever for the last few days. I don’t take any medicine and I have lost 20 kgs over the last month."
Posters outside the sit-in area in Shaheen Bagh.
“I wasn’t in Delhi when it happened, but the moment I came to know, I came back,” Abidin tells us. “Some 10-20 of us got the Indian national flag and decided to march to JMI. As we walked, some 200 people joined us. But by the time we got there, the state had imposed Section 144 [that prohibits public gathering] in the area. So we came here to Shaheen Bagh, found a platform, and sat down.”The gathering in Shaheen Bagh happened immediately after that.
The vandalised interiors of the library of Jamia Millia Islamia University, which is about a 20-minute auto ride away from Shaheen Bagh.
“But thankfully, the people of Shaheen Bagh have opened their doors and hearts to us."
