The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), the Congress and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) were in the forefront, guiding the agitation in the initial phase. Muslims across the State and organisations representing the community took the protest forward emulating the sit-in by Muslim women in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh.
In the second week of February, Muslim women started a sit-in at Old Washermenpet in north Chennai. The agitation remained a lowkey affair, confined to a small group of women and youths who converted a couple of narrow lanes as their protest venue. But after the Friday prayer on February 14, the crowds swelled to thousands, prompting similar protests not only in other areas of Washermenpet but in other parts of Chennai and in other cities, municipal towns and town panchayats in the State. These protesters were not led by any particular leader and they were not affiliated to any political party or ideology. Women and youths were in the forefront of the protest.
This story is from the March 13, 2020 edition of FRONTLINE.
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This story is from the March 13, 2020 edition of FRONTLINE.
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