Shaheen Bagh Protester in TIME’s 100 Most Influential People

In an unexpected development, Bilkis – the 82-year-old who became the poster child of the anti-CAA protests at Shaheen Bagh – is reportedly included in the TIME magazine's list of 100 most influential people for the year 2020.

Bilkis and her two friends who had staunchly protested against the controversial act braving hot and cold came to be dubbed as "Dadis" or "Grandmothers" of the anti-CAA agitation and roadblock at Shaheen Bagh.

Bilkis, specially, was known for regularly sitting at the protest site from early morning till midnight for three months until the protests were finally disbanded and the protesters evicted from the site due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Hindustan Times quoted another staunch protester Hena Ahmed while reacting to the development as, "We are happy that at least someone understood our intentions. The authorities always tried to paint the protests as something wrong. Truth always wins. Bilkis dadi's name was in the same list as that of our Prime Minister. This means that there was some legitimacy to our movement. Locals who I have been in touch with are happy because of this development and relieved that Shaheen Bagh's spirit has been recognized."

 The TIME magazine's list of 100 most influential people for the year 2020 also includes, among others, PM Modi and actor Ayushman Khurrana.