Jahan died last week after acquiring a severe cold and congestion following exposure to the winter chill at the outdoor demonstration
New Delhi: Amid the Shaheen bagh protest, a four-month-old infant named Mohammed Jahaan who was accompanied by his mother almost every day has reportedly died. The baby was a favorite among protesters who would hold him and often draw the tricolor on his cheeks. Now Jahaan will not be part of Shaheen Bagh anymore.
Jahan died last week after acquiring a severe cold and congestion following exposure to the winter chill at the outdoor demonstration. However, his mother is undeterred and determined to participate in the protests, saying it is “for the future of my children”.
The four-month-old death shattered parents, Mohammed Arif and Nazia live in a Batla House area and have two other children — a five-year-old daughter and a one-year-old son.
Infant’s family hails from Bareilly in UP, the couple is barely able to make ends meet. Mohammed Arif is an embroidery worker and also drives an e-rickshaw and his wife helps him in his embroidery work.
“Despite driving the battery rickshaw I am not able to earn enough money in addition to my embroidery work. As our baby’s demise, we have lost everything,” he said, showing a photo of little Jahaan wearing a woolen cap that read ‘I Love My India’.
Nazia said Jahaan died in his sleep on the night of January 30 after returning from the protests.
She said “We all returned home from Shaheen Baag at 1 AM. After kids slept, even I went to sleep. In the morning, I suddenly found Jahan motionless and was gone in his sleep,”.
Later on, we took our motionless baby to the nearby hospital on the morning of January 31 where he was declared dead.
Nazia was visiting the Shaheen Bagh protest every day with Jahaan since December 18, says that he died after catching a cold that turned lethal.
She said she didn’t realise that his congestion was so severe. However, the death certificate of Jahan issued by the hospital does not mention any specific reason for death.
Nazia said I feel that the CAA and NRC are against the welfare of all religions and will continue the Shaheen Bagh protests, but this time without her children.
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