Humiliation, naming and shaming, social boycott and communal slurs have become a routine in the life of Congress leader Sadaf Jafarfor having allegedly taken part in anti-CAA protests.
A resident of Lucknow and a vocal critic of the Yogi government, Jafar is facing the wrath of the BJP led government for allegedly taking part in anti-CAA protests, organized at Ghantaghar in Lucknow in 2019.
Though Jafar was released on bail in the first week of January 2020 after having spent 20 days in jail, she has been facing constant harassment by the Yogi Adityanath-led UP government since then.
Recently, the UP Government sent her a notice demanding compensation of Rs 64, 37,637 in lieu of “damage to public property” caused by her. “If not paid, the administration will attach the property,” reads the notice.
Amused by the amount mentioned in the notice, she says, “How can one person cause damage to public property worth Rs 64, 37,637 within a few hours? The government should show proof of the damage done by me.”
Though Jafar has appealed in the Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court against the “draconian order”, she does not have much hope for relief.
“I submitted my reply to both the Tehsildar and ADM, but neither of them acknowledged it or responded. I have sent my reply through registered post...No interim relief has been given by the court in this matter,” said Jafar.
“Legal issues can be fought in the court but the naming & shaming and humiliation is inflicting permanent scars...Cops either call over the phone for the ‘recovery’ or visit my place and create hungama,” said Jafar.Not only this, she feels that the state machinery,with the help of “lapdog media and troll army”, is trying to build a new identity of her as a pattharbaaz (stone-pelter).
“Where is that pattharbaaz woman, cops ask my neighbours... Sometimes they randomly talk to the people living in my colony and tell them ‘aapko pata hai yaha ek pattharbaaz rahti hai’(Did you know a stone-pelter lives here)” Jafar said.
Recalling how her children are subjected to day-to-day humiliation by the police, Jafar says, “In the first week of July when cops banged my door, my daughter and 12-year-old son were at home. My daughter opened the door. She was in casuals but the policemen started filming her. They were shouting in front of my children,‘tumhari ma patttharbaaz hai. Kaha chhippi hai hai wo, use bahar nikalo (your mother is a stone-pelter. Where is she hiding, ask her to come out)”.
“My daughter and son faced immense trauma, they are living in fear,” Jafar said.It is important to note here that for taking part in the anti-CAA protests, Jafar has been named in four FIRs and is facing nearly 40 cases including under Section 307 (Attempt to murder) under various sections of the IPC.
Jafar says that the only silver lining that people of UP have in these dark times is Priyanka Gandhi.
“She has put the entire machinery in support. My party is standing like a rock behind me. We are fighting, we have hope, and we will win over the anti-people government,” added Jafar.
“This is how a fascist regime works. First, they defame you, then they alienate you, then they kill you. If you belong to the minority and Dalit category, then chances of your being killed are higher,” said a UP political watcher on condition of anonymity.
Apart from Jafar, 54 protestors were served the notice for recovery of damages in Lucknow alone. Of them, two properties – a garment store and a junk store located in Hasanganj – were attached under the Uttar Pradesh Recovery of Damages to Public and Private Property ordinance, 2020.
So far, as per the reports, the Lucknow administration had sent recovery notices to the tune of around Rs 1.55 crores to more than 50 people for the ‘damage’ during the anti-CAA protests.
