NEW DELHI: The first attempt for a dialogue between the Shaheen Bagh protesters and two senior lawyers – appointed by Supreme Court as interlocutors – resulted in an exchange of views on Wednesday. The protesters articulated their position, turning emotional at times, and the lawyers conveyed the SC’s concern and the need to find a solution. There was no breakthrough and the dialogue will continue on Thursday.

Welcoming this initiative to “hear each one of them”, the women expressed a deep sense of disappointment at having been ignored by the authorities so far. They gave an emotional account of what they had experienced during their prolonged agitation against CAA-NRC.

A huge crowd surrounded the stage from where senior lawyers Sanjay Hegde and Sadhana Ramachandran were speaking. They assured the crowd that SC had taken note of their right to protest and that engaging in a dialogue was the only way they could find a solution. “We're here to listen," they said, adding: “CAA had been challenged in SC but it doesn't mean that your right to protest will be taken away. But there are also rights of the people who have to commute on this route...shopkeepers have to open their shops, doctors have to reach Apollo Hospital and students have to go to schools.” Hegde had earlier read out the SC order, verbatim.

The lawyers waited for the clamour to subside. They also requested mediapersons surrounding the dais to move out of the arena so that the interaction could be held without any intervention or in-camera. This, however, upset the protesters. The lawyers then tried to clarify that they were unable to see people sitting on the ground due to the video cameras lined up in front of them.

Ramachandran, subsequently, said: “SC has sent us to tell you that a solution has to be arrived at. We want to hear you out. Do you want to talk to us?” The crowd responded in unison, “We also want to talk to you.” Ramachandran responded with: “We'll find a solution that will be a precedent for the entire world.” Former bureuacrat Wajahat Habibullah , also tasked by the court, visited the protesters later in the evening.

The first day was mostly about listening to the protesters. A young woman in the crowd asked when their concerns hadn’t been addressed while protesting at Shaheen Bagh, what was the guarantee that there could be a resolution if they moved their protest elsewhere. “We sat in extreme cold, when it rained heavily...did anyone come to see us even once? Are we not citizens of this country?” she asked, her voice breaking.

Another youngster said the entire narrative of the protests had been turned into an issue of inconvenience. “It's being projected that people are facing inconvenience. Is our convenience less than that of those who are stuck in traffic jams? We are fighting for our existence. The Shaheen Bagh model is being emulated elsewhere in the country. Ending this would bring an end to all those protests. Lies are being spread that we don't allow ambulances,” she said in a choked voice. “Solutions can be found only through a dialogue.”

Hegde, who was listening to her keenly, lauded her speech for being “clear and articulate.” He said, “Azaadi logon ke dil me basti hai….Aap agar leke chalenge toh azaadi barkarar rahegi. Azad bharat ke nagrik hain. Hum sab ke upar zimma hai. Hum sunne aaye hain. Hum sunenge.” (Freedom lives in people’s hearts. If you carry it, it will remain alive. We are people of a free India and all of us have a responsibility. We are here to listen. We will listen.”)

One youngster who had spoken earlier said, “Our voice is not of privilege. We are people who have faced struggle. We believe in the apex court of our country.” To this, Ramachandran said, “SC recognises your struggle.”

The lawyers were informed by a burqa-clad youngster that the protesters were facing threats. “We've been shot at. Our home minister says ‘aisa button dabao ki Shaheen Bagh waalon ko current lage'. The PM says people can be identified by their clothes. Am I a terrorist because I dress differently? Why is the government not engaging in a dialogue? Don't we deserve a dialogue? We’ve seen the Assam model and how people have been left out of the list of citizens,” she said.

She blamed a section of the media for the situation. “We face slander. People say women have taken five hundred rupees to sit here. You are listening to us. Do you think like that? We're educated,” she said.

One common fear expressed by these women was that if they shifted, their rights would be gone as “we don't know how many of our future generations will have to prove that they are Indian citizens.”

