An 82-year-old Muslim woman who became the face of a women-led protest against a controversial citizenship law in India’s capital New Delhi has been included in the list of the 100 most influential people in 2020 by the TIME magazine, based in the United States.
The prestigious publication named Bilkis, who participated in the protests against the anti-Muslim law, as one of its “icons.”
“Bilkis gave hope and strength to activists and student leaders who were being jailed for defending the unpopular truth in a democracy that was slipping toward authoritarianism, and inspired peaceful copycat protests across the country,” wrote Indian writer Rana Ayyub for Time’s Profile of the elderly protester from the Shaheen Bagh suburb of New Delhi, a working-class Muslim neighborhood.
I will sit here until the blood stops flowing through my veins so that the children of this country and the world breathe the air of justice and equality.
The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), which paves the way for non-Muslims from three neighboring countries to obtain citizenship, sparked protests across the country against the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after its passage in December.
TIME magazine named Bilkis, who participated in protests against the anti-Muslim law, one of its ‘Icons’ [File: Bilal Kuchay/Al Jazeera]Legal experts say that the CAA, which makes faith the basis for acquiring Indian citizenship, runs counter to the country’s secular constitution. Currently, the law is being challenged in the Supreme Court.
“I will sit here until the blood stops flowing through my veins so that the children of this country and the world breathe the air of justice and equality,” Bilkis told Ayyub during the protests earlier this year.
Ayyub added that Bilkis deserved recognition “for the world to recognize the power of resistance against tyranny.”
Prime Minister Modi also appeared on the list of “leaders”, who was criticized not only for rejecting “elitism but also pluralism.”
“Although nearly all of India’s prime ministers come from the nearly 80 percent of the population that is Hindu, only Modi has ruled as if no one else mattered,” wrote Karl Vick, editor of Time.
Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana was the third Indian on the list, outlined by Deepika Padukone, a renowned actress in the industry.
Peaceful protests
Bilkis told Al Jazeera in January that the CAA was meant to “attack Muslims and send their children to detention camps.” Their fears stemmed from the Hindu nationalist government’s plan to implement a national registry of citizens, which rights groups say will lead to the disenfranchisement of Muslims.
Shaheen Bagh inspired peaceful protests across the country and it became a thorn in the government’s side.
Many members of the ruling party were accused of incitement to hatred when they called for the violent removal of protest sites. An attempt by government supporters in February sparked deadly violence in northwest Delhi that left 53 dead.
In March, Delhi police broke up the Shaheen Bagh protest, the longest running anti-AAC protest, citing a ban on public gatherings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
