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Shaheen Bagh: From a Protest to a Movement
From Delhi to Chennai, a million Shaheen Baghs. A copy of the Constitution in one hand, the tricolour in the other, Shaheen Bagh became a symbol of a vibrant democracy and secular pilgrimage. But who were these women who braved it all?
Shaheen Bagh: From a Protest to a Movement is a moving tale of the brave women of Shaheen Bagh—patient, persevering and unbelievable peaceniks—who raised their voice for the deprived and the discriminated. Initially starting out as a cry of anguish against the allegedly discriminatory laws of the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens, it soon became a modern-day Gandhian movement for equal rights for all citizens.
The book is a result of the authors' abiding focus on the movement, including spending time with the brave hearts almost every day of the protest from dawn to dusk and beyond. The authors slept in the open near the protest site to understand what it takes for a ninety-year-old woman to leave the comfort of her bed during a chilly winter night and stand up for the future of each one of us as equal citizens of the country. The book recounts how the women did not abjure ahimsa even when their opponents stooped to barbs and bullets. It recaptures for the reader the riveting cry for democracy that was Shaheen Bagh.
Authors Ziya Us Salam and Uzma Ausaf take us on this glorious journey of the making of Shaheen Bagh and how it became a metaphor for resistance, spawning a hundred Shaheen Baghs across the country in a bid to restore the sanctity of the Constitution, the national flag and the national anthem.
Shaheen Bagh: From a Protest to a Movement is a moving tale of the brave women of Shaheen Bagh—patient, persevering and unbelievable peaceniks—who raised their voice for the deprived and the discriminated. Initially starting out as a cry of anguish against the allegedly discriminatory laws of the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens, it soon became a modern-day Gandhian movement for equal rights for all citizens.
The book is a result of the authors' abiding focus on the movement, including spending time with the brave hearts almost every day of the protest from dawn to dusk and beyond. The authors slept in the open near the protest site to understand what it takes for a ninety-year-old woman to leave the comfort of her bed during a chilly winter night and stand up for the future of each one of us as equal citizens of the country. The book recounts how the women did not abjure ahimsa even when their opponents stooped to barbs and bullets. It recaptures for the reader the riveting cry for democracy that was Shaheen Bagh.
Authors Ziya Us Salam and Uzma Ausaf take us on this glorious journey of the making of Shaheen Bagh and how it became a metaphor for resistance, spawning a hundred Shaheen Baghs across the country in a bid to restore the sanctity of the Constitution, the national flag and the national anthem.
282 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
August 23, 2020
This is a book which can easily be termed propaganda on pages instead of news channels. Avoid this book for the best of yourself and your time.
The publisher of this book is highly unprofessional, favouring one side and suppressing the freedom of expression of another side. Show them their place.
The publisher of this book is highly unprofessional, favouring one side and suppressing the freedom of expression of another side. Show them their place.
August 23, 2020
Waste of time! I thought there will be information but this is only piece of blatant terror-sympathiser propaganda.
August 23, 2020
The book tries to chronicle what happened during the shaheen bagh protest in Delhi which halted the traffic, made life troublesome and became a state-issue with millions of people suffering because of a few misguided persons who did not understand the CAA in clarity. The book's issue is good but it has handled it in a very partisan way and a biased narrative derails the book's usefulness.
August 23, 2020
The book is written in a very deceitful manner and it tries to save the people who created a high nuisance for the people in delhi by blocking their lives for about 100 days and more. Shameful attempt by the author and the publisher to save the criminals.
August 23, 2020
A book which is better avoided rather than read and time wasted upon it. Read something better.
August 23, 2020
The book is an obnoxious attempt to pass as normal what was an act of nuisance against the state. A true piece of propaganda by the author famous of islamist cover up in the blind hate for others. Shameful by the publisher to give platform to such piece of avoidable literature.
August 23, 2020
Avoidable piece. It tries to put into place things which were destined to scatter. I read the first two chapters and a few random pages. Read like a pamphlet why Shaheen bagh was good rather than an objective analysis. Avoid it.
August 23, 2020
What a wonderful piece of falsification and fabrication of lies... I expected to find some useful information and I found something which might be called pure propaganda on behalf of the rioters and ruckus creators who have officially confessed their crimes in front of court. Even worthy of publication? I pity the sense of the policy decision makers at Bloomsbury India!
August 23, 2020
Was shaheen bagh anything other than an obstacle in the ordinary lifestyle of the Delhi people? Ask yourself and then read the book. I am sure you will throw the book out after reading the first chapter.
August 30, 2020
Very wisely used muslim propoganda, to whitewash burning of delhi by APP leader and by muslim mob. She maintains to hide fact that, whole Idea of "SHAHEEN BAGH" was on roumors. In CAA not a single word was refering to muslims of India.
Though, they started to believe that this is for them.
Though, they started to believe that this is for them.
September 19, 2020
Waste of time. Author is very unprofessional. Very one sided biased book.
September 22, 2020
The book is a Islamist propoganda. Entire content of the book is forged. Don't even bother getting this book, instead read the book "Delhi riots 2020" which has orginal content.
September 22, 2022
🇮🇳 BOOK REVIEW 🇮🇳
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Disclaimer: I am only rating this a 5-star because of the wave of 1-star reviews by right wing bhakts, who probably did not even bother to take the time to read the book. The actual rating for this book would fall at a comfortable 3 stars.
In the winter of 2019-2020, India saw a phenomenon that shook the masses out of their slumber of prejudice. Initially a protest by uneducated grannies of a nondescript area in South Delhi, the gathering swelled into a massive movement encompassing women, men and children of all faiths, classes and regions. They provided a united front against what was becoming an increasing attack against the democratic principles of our country by the elected government and their footsoldiers. Lasting 101 days through the coldest winter Delhi had seen in years, Shaheen Bagh was uprooted only by the COVID-19 pandemic that swept across the world and shuttered everyone indoors. But through its resistance to fascist forces, Shaheen Bagh left an indelible mark on the world as a unique protest led by women, defending the secular principles of our Constitution and safeguarding pluralistic principles envisioned by our founding fathers.
I just wish the book did it justice though.
I find it hard to believe that authors Ziya Us Salam and Uzma Ausaf come from such prestigious journalistic backgrounds. The book is full of repetitions (often word-for-word), limited vocabulary, stunted descriptions and bad editing. I wonder how it got past the proofreaders desk, because these flaws completely ruined the reading experience for me.
While it is of the utmost importance that we document, read and research on this topic to ensure that the masses don't fall back into their slumber, it is just as important that our sources be rich. I'm just upset that the first book I picked up on the subject was lacking.
Thankfully, there are more books on the subject and I am hopeful that the next one on my list is going to be much better.
If you liked this review, consider following @giltedged_reads on Instagram.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
Disclaimer: I am only rating this a 5-star because of the wave of 1-star reviews by right wing bhakts, who probably did not even bother to take the time to read the book. The actual rating for this book would fall at a comfortable 3 stars.
In the winter of 2019-2020, India saw a phenomenon that shook the masses out of their slumber of prejudice. Initially a protest by uneducated grannies of a nondescript area in South Delhi, the gathering swelled into a massive movement encompassing women, men and children of all faiths, classes and regions. They provided a united front against what was becoming an increasing attack against the democratic principles of our country by the elected government and their footsoldiers. Lasting 101 days through the coldest winter Delhi had seen in years, Shaheen Bagh was uprooted only by the COVID-19 pandemic that swept across the world and shuttered everyone indoors. But through its resistance to fascist forces, Shaheen Bagh left an indelible mark on the world as a unique protest led by women, defending the secular principles of our Constitution and safeguarding pluralistic principles envisioned by our founding fathers.
I just wish the book did it justice though.
I find it hard to believe that authors Ziya Us Salam and Uzma Ausaf come from such prestigious journalistic backgrounds. The book is full of repetitions (often word-for-word), limited vocabulary, stunted descriptions and bad editing. I wonder how it got past the proofreaders desk, because these flaws completely ruined the reading experience for me.
While it is of the utmost importance that we document, read and research on this topic to ensure that the masses don't fall back into their slumber, it is just as important that our sources be rich. I'm just upset that the first book I picked up on the subject was lacking.
Thankfully, there are more books on the subject and I am hopeful that the next one on my list is going to be much better.
If you liked this review, consider following @giltedged_reads on Instagram.
September 12, 2022
Brilliant book. Details the ways in which brave Muslim women continued to fight against a fascist government in the face of repression, violence, and patriarchy. More importantly, the barrage of negative reviews by bigots and fascists in contravention of established facts on Goodreads shows the continuing legacy of the Shaheen Bagh movement and Muslim women's empowerment as resisting typecasting, and only speaks volumes about the author's integrity when faced with threats. Solidarity!
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews