Thread by @DevjyotGhoshal

In a working-class corner of south Delhi, a nearly 1-kilometre stretch of a wide, six-lane highway connecting India’s capital city with a burgeoning suburb has been blockaded for 10 days.

This is the story of the Shaheen Bagh occupation.

#NRC_CAA_Protest

Helmed by two IIT-trained enginners, supported by more than 100 volunteers, and backed by an entire neighborhood, this is perhaps the only sustained occupation against #CAA_NRC

Shaheen Bagh's protest is also entirely non-violent, with no political party's involvement.

Meet some of the volunteers:

Tabish, a banker, runs a four-person perimeter security team.

Wahid, a student, is in charge of food for 200-300 people during lunch and dinner.

Siddharth, an accountant, is one of the handful of volunteers handling funds.

#NRC_CAA_Protest

Another surprise has been the hundreds of women, many in burqas, with children.

“We had initially appealed to women to only stay here till 10 p.m.,” Humera, a volunteer told me. “But they aren’t willing to leave."

#NRC_CAA_Protest

IIT alumni Aasif and Sharjeel both are aware of the risks they face, the possibility of legal action and even their careers getting derailed.

But both seem to have accepted the consequences, they said in interviews inside a small flat they share deep inside the neighborhood.

“At least tomorrow, I won’t feel that I could have spoken up for my rights but I didn’t,” Aasif told me.

“Whatever happens tomorrow, at least we’ll be happy, that we could have done it, and we did it.”

#NRC_CAA_Protest

Police officer Chinmoy Biswal said he was negotiating with protesters, and was hopeful the site would empty out soon as local support for the demonstration waned.

For now, Shaheen Bagh remains occupied - 10 days and counting.

#NRC_CAA_Protest

in.reuters.com/article/india-…