Team Clarion
FIROZABAD — It was just another evening in the bustling fair in Milikhan Jahanpur village of Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh when chaos erupted last week. A group of Muslim women, wearing hijabs, walked past a tea stall, chatting amongst themselves. Suddenly, a mob of Hindutva men spotted them, their expressions shifting from curiosity to hostility.
The men, emboldened by their numbers, started shouting slogans —“Jai Shri Ram!” and and “tel lagake dabur ka naam mita do babar ka”— their voices growing louder, echoing in the crowd of fair visitors. The Hindutva mob also hurled abuses and taunts.
“Go to Pakistan if you want to dress like this!” one of them reportedly sneered.
“Why are you covering your faces? Are you criminals?” another jeered.
Fear flickered across the women’s faces. Some looked around desperately for help, but the bystanders remained silent—some out of fear, others out of silent approval.
One of the women, Fatima, a college student, turned around and mustered the courage to confront them. “Wearing a hijab is my right,” she declared, her voice unwavering.
Her defiance only fueled their aggression. “You people don’t belong here!” one of them spat, stepping forward menacingly. But just then, an elderly shopkeeper intervened.
“Enough!” he bellowed, stepping between the mob and the women. “Let them go!”
His voice carried weight, and for a moment, the mob hesitated. Sensing an opportunity, the women hurried away, their hearts pounding.
By the time the police arrived, the mob had already scattered. The women filed a complaint, but they knew justice would be an uphill battle. In the current climate, incidents like these were becoming disturbingly common.
That night, Fatima took to social media, sharing the ordeal. Activists demanded accountability, urging authorities to take action before such incidents spiraled further out of control.
