Earlier in 2020, when the anti-CAA-NRC protests in Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh were still going strong, the city was witness to people of all walks of life coming together to oppose something that holds the ability to single out people based on their beliefs.

One of the many strong women that stood their ground for three straight months was Bilkis. She came to be the face of the Dadis of Shaheen Bagh, a group of elderly women braving the pinching New Delhi winter.

Receiving the recognition she whole-heartedly deserves, Bilkis was named one of TIME’S 100 Most Influential People Of 2020. Indian journalist and author Rana Ayyub introduced Bilkis to the world in her words, and also revealed what Bilkis said to her during the protests: “I will sit here till blood stops flowing in my veins so the children of this country and the world breathe the air of justice and equality.”

82-year-old Bilkis did not sit at the protests for herself. She sat for her children and their future, that in this day and age and particularly in this country, seems bleak.

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