When 22-year-old Ifra Parvez, a resident of Brahmpuri, heard National Security Advisor Ajit Doval was visiting violence-hit areas in north-east Delhi, she knew she had to speak to him.
“We have been living in fear for two days now. There are no streetlights on the road outside our house. I am scared for my father and brothers when they step out. This is not how we want to live,” the postgraduate student of Political Science, told Doval.
“I had to tell him because he was here to speak to us,” she added.
Dressed in a black and maroon burqah, Parvez was one of the locals who stepped forward and spoke to the NSA about their plight in the aftermath of the violence that has left 27 dead and injured at least 330 in Delhi. On Wednesday, Brahmpuri was among the several spots Doval visited to review the ground situation. He has been appointed the Centre’s point person to restore law and order in north-east Delhi.
“I was watching him on television and when he was a few metres away from our house, I rushed to the spot and told him about our situation,” Parvez said, adding that Doval’s assurance of security had brought some hope for the family. “The situation is such that we get terrified at the slightest of sounds.”
Parvez and her family have been a part of the anti-CAA protests in the area, but not regularly. “The protests have been happening for over a month. The trigger for the violence was vitriolic statements made by Kapil Mishra. I told him (Doval) to take action against such people,” she said. While talking about the problems faced by women and students, she said, “I told him that I am a student and I can’t go out or study because of the ongoing violence.”
{{/usCountry}}Parvez and her family have been a part of the anti-CAA protests in the area, but not regularly. “The protests have been happening for over a month. The trigger for the violence was vitriolic statements made by Kapil Mishra. I told him (Doval) to take action against such people,” she said. While talking about the problems faced by women and students, she said, “I told him that I am a student and I can’t go out or study because of the ongoing violence.”
{{/usCountry}}She said Doval has assured her that her concerns were being addressed. “I have heard and understood you. What you have said, I have heard from others too,” Doval was heard telling the young woman.
When Parvez told Doval that the police were not doing their jobs, the NSA assured her they would do so. “I give you my word of honour. We’ll do everything,” he told her.