Kamerjahan (standing) with sisters Aisha, Sanam; Isha, who is admitted in a Delhi hospital with serious injuries
Nine daughters of a Muslim widow, all pursuing higher education or holding jobs, sisters Anjum, Jahan, Sana, Kamerjahan, Sanam Jahan, Alisha, Isha, Aisha and Alina would have been the envy of any. In the small village of Kandhla, in this region steeped in orthodoxy in western Uttar Pradesh, that may have run deep enough to bring them an acid attack.
Isha, 23, is now in New Delhi's Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, with burns to her face and battling to save her left eye. Kamerjahan (30), Sanam Jahan (28) and Aisha (21), who too had acid thrown on them by two unidentified men on a bike on April 2 evening, also received burns on their face and other parts of the body.
In the village, everyone knows about what happened and will guide you to their house, that has been getting a stream of visitors, including politicians. However, no one claims to have seen the bikers.
Questioning the village's silence, Aisha says: "There were a lot of people at the spot. One of the shopkeepers even tried to stop the bikers and hurled a few abuses at them. However, they have denied any knowledge about the identity of those bikers. Someone must have seen their face or heard their voices."
The confidence with which they sped away through the narrow village lanes appears to indicate they were locals. The villagers The Sunday Express spoke to also denied any information of who the men could have been.
However, it's not the first time the girls have felt isolated in this predominantly Muslim village. Apart from poverty, their mother Nur Jahan, in her 60s, fought battles at various levels to ensure them an education — often putting her at odds with fellow villagers. Her husband Salim, a tailor, died nine years ago following a heart attack. Nur Jahan also has a son, 19, who is studying in Ghaziabad.
To be continued tomorrow.....
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