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legislators, public figures social media coverage of a ing songs of protest and in political power, and
and firebrand leaders, moment when a commu- patriotism in the winter civil society. The composed
Salam contends, invoke nity seemed to “overcome of December 2019. Salam control of Salam’s writing
male ‘prowess’ on the their character” of timidity writes of these ‘right-think- frames arguments that
one hand and licentious and fear, writes Salam, ing’ women who dared to serve as evidence for ‘new’
behaviour on the other — beamed a message of audaciously re-write the issues, fissures, experi-
all built around the idea “hope and defiance”. The mainstream stereotype of ences and analyses. And
of a woman as a ‘baby- response of the State, pre- Muslim women as meek, his energetic tone provides
producing machine’ with dictably, of stun gun and helpless victims living un- a rich feel of the contexts
no control over her mind tear gas attacks against der a constant fear of triple and terrain in which such
or body. unarmed young men and talaq. Such was the impact questions are being posed
In an interesting essay women inside campuses, of these women that one and debated, extended and
‘Shaheen Bagh Women hostels and libraries led 82-year-old grandmother, elaborated, afresh.
Show the Way’ in the last to protests from ‘the most Bilquis Dadi, was listed The last lines of the
section, Salam records unlikely of quarters’: the among the ‘Hundred Most book conclude with the
the marches and protests Shaheen Bagh movement Influential People of the hope that a new dawn
launched against the Citi- which inspired similar World’ in 2020 by Time may yet arise, and Salam’s
zenship (Amendment) Bill, protests across the streets Magazine. forceful voice certainly
2019 (or CAA) by students and chowrastas of towns A journalist and an helps the reader believe
of Jamia Millia Islamia and cities of India. insider of the community, that the ideas of democ-
(JMI). It gained traction In each iteration, Mus- Ziya Us Salam uses his racy, egalitarianism and
and spread to Aligarh Mus- lim women were visibly knowledge and experi- respect may yet live and
lim University, Jawaharlal centre stage: frail grand- ence to occupy a public breathe, if not flourish,
Nehru University and sim- mothers, housewives, old, space and raise questions among all citizens of India.
ilar institutions across the young, unlettered, edu- of Muslim representation ASMA RASHEED (The
country. The visuals and cated, all collectively sing- in national institutions, Book Review)

JULY 2024 EDUCATIONWORLD 81