Being from small towns’ lesser known dusty muhallas did not came in their ways when the three girls challenged the centuries old tradition practiced at one the country’s most visited shrines- Dargah of Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi. The Dargah management’s sending them off from the doorsteps was enough to hurt Deeba Faryal, Anukriti Sugam and Shivangi Kumari and to set the justice bell ringing.
Deeba is from Dumka while Anukriti and Shivangi belong to Hazaribagh of Jharkhand and study together in their fourth year at prestigious Balaji Law College of the Pune University.
“We are doing our internship in Delhi and one day we went there to visit the shrine. We felt very bad there when the caretaker stopped us at a particular place and did not allow us and other women to go inside.
Women were getting humiliated and reprimanded badly there even for going upstairs. It was very painful and humiliating experience. I did not think about my background or the place I belong to when I decided to question the tradition before the court,” Deeba Faryal narrated to The Pioneer her ordeal while questioning the raison d'être of the practice.
The three girls with the help and advice of their seniors went on filing a PIL before the Delhi High Court on December 6 that on its part hearing the matter admitted the petition on December 10.
“I am a Muslim but I have failed to find out any reference in the religious texts where discrimination like this towards woman has been explained. In my mind these restrictions are just man made and have been infused later on. There were valid grounds with us behind challenging the notion,” adds Deeba.
Listening to the PIL the bench of Chief Justice V Kameswar Rao of the Delhi High Court has issued notices to the State Government, the shrine management and others to respond and fixed April 11 as next date.
Moreover, the risk was there since they or their families back home could have come on the target of fanatics. “Yes it was. Initially we were worried since these issues are sentimental in nature. But I decided to go ahead since it was a larger question.
As far as threat to our families is concerned, I think there are two types of people everywhere and I am confident of getting enough support even from my hometown for the cause,” chips in Anukriti Sugam of Hazaribagh who opted for the integrated law course during her 12th and wants to become a lawyer keeping social justice top on her priority.
The girls are being backed by their seniors, fellow students and teachers along with the series of recent Supreme Court orders rectifying similar practices were in operation at the Haji Ali shire of Mumbai and Sabarimala Temple of Kerala while allowing women’s entry to the places without any discrimination.
“These judgments have boosted our confidence and encouraged us to go ahead. We are committed to take the case to its logical conclusion and ready to go up to the Supreme Court, if needed. Our parents are fully in our support,” said Deeba matching the big zeal and the charisma, (un)like people of small towns have possessed quite often.