Shreya Priyam Roy, 21, had not imagined that a picture of her offering a red rose to a Delhi policeman at Jantar Mantar would make her the face of students’ protests against the CAA. | Photo Credit: Saurabh Trivedi

New Delhi

20 December 2019 12:53 IST

The gesture was in response to ‘police brutality against students’ across the country, says Shreya Priyam Roy who is emerging as face of the anti-CAA protests in the Capital

Shreya Priyam Roy, 21, pursuing masters in History from Delhi University (DU), had not imagined that a picture of her offering a red rose to a Delhi policeman at Jantar Mantar would become an internet sensation and make her the face of students’ protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

While some of the newfound fame is welcome, she wants the focus to be more on the cause. “I am not an activist. I am just a regular student aspiring to be an artist and obviously didn’t want to go viral this way”.

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On Thursday, students from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, the DU and many other private universities staged a day-long protest against the CAA at Jantar Mantar. A picture of Ms. Roy clicked by this correspondent was shared multiple times and many wondered who was the protester who braved a policeman in a riot gear with a message for peace.

But what made her take part in the protest in the first place? Ms. Roy says she was moved after hearing the ordeal of police crackdown on Jamia Milia Islamia University students from a friend. Her friend, a student of the university, told her about the “brutal crackdown” by the police after which she decided to raise her voice herself.

And what better way to convey a message than a rose, she adds. “I offered roses to policemen because in either JNU, DU, Assam or Jamia university, they have beaten students mercilessly. I want to convey to them that students are not violent, we are just opposing government policies in a peaceful way,” she told The Hindu over the phone.

She clarifies that she was not a part of any group as she went to the Jantar Mantar alone and on the way, she purchased roses to give to policemen in case they would beat her up for staging protest.

Stand-up comedian

On her take on the issue, the aspiring stand-up comedian says that when the NPR-NRC is applied throughout the country, everybody will have to prove that they belong to this country through documents (which may or may not exist). “It will officially cause pain to the Muslims. It is like being questioned in your home. You will have to prove you are an Indian, no matter how Indian you are. It violates our Constitution and the secular ethos of our country. It will make the life tough for everyone.”

Her questions are addressed to the Bharatiya Janata Party, a party she voted for in this year’s Lok Sabha election because of its ally Janata Dal (United) but now she regrets voting for the alliance.

“I come from Patna in Bihar where the BJP and the JD(U) had alliance during election and indirectly I voted for the BJP. India is a secular country but the BJP policies are dividing it on caste and religion. It should be stopped,” she said.

“ The CAA according to the BJP party and supporters is to protect the communities who are being persecuted on the basis of their religion in the neighbouring countries. So why it does not include the Rohingya Muslims or Sri Lankan Tamils and others? nor it includes all India’s neighbours,” she leaves another question for the ruling dispensation as she signs off.