MUMBAI: A young woman in a rain-soaked grey hoodie stood with her arms outstretched in front of a police van, refusing to let it move.Inside the vehicle were protesters detained during demonstrations in Mumbai on Wednesday, held in solidarity with the Cockroach Janta Party’s (CJP) agitation over alleged examination irregularities and the police crackdown on protesters in Delhi.The woman, identified as Rhiya Ahir, remained in front of the van for around 40 minutes.Ahir said she had been waiting for friends before joining the protest when she noticed the police vehicle carrying detained protesters. She asked officers whether they had the required paperwork to detain those inside.Unsatisfied with the response, she first walked alongside the moving van. When she could no longer keep pace, she stepped directly into its path.“The driver revved the engine,” Ahir recalled, saying the possibility of being detained or injured crossed her mind. But she refused to move until the protesters were released.“I knew one thing,” she said. “If I had started this, I had to end it.”‘They tried to accelerate and scare me’Speaking after the incident, the 27-year-old said she could not accept seeing people being treated like criminals for protesting.“They tried to accelerate and scare me, but I did not back down,” Ahir said. “If I don’t do this, I will feel guilty for doing nothing.”She also questioned the authorities’ handling of the protests in Delhi.“While the police are doing their job, they are not doing it responsibly. If no one is taking responsibility, we will take responsibility for our citizens.”“I am not a student, my father is not a farmer, nor am I. I am not a Dalit or belong to the OBC community, but what they did to the students (in Delhi) is wrong. They have to own up to their actions.”Questioning the government’s response, she asked why, if protesters were not allowed to march to Parliament, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had not met them at the protest site.‘The system has failed us’Ahir said her decision to intervene went beyond the issue of examination irregularities, describing it as a response to wider social concerns.“The system has failed us in so many ways—from senior citizens to animals,” she said. “This is about all the marginalised, right down to the Dalit sanitation workers who clean the city’s filth for a pittance.”She also said younger generations were no longer willing to remain silent.“We are not scared to raise our voice,” Ahir said. “We have to start a wave that they cannot ignore.”‘I wanted to know if there is victory beyond fear’Ahir said her decision to stand in front of the police van was also a personal test of courage.“I wanted to find out for myself because I feel that everyone carries some kind of fear within them. I wanted to know whether the saying ‘there is victory beyond fear’ is really true.”She said she had not anticipated the events that followed but believed the experience had answered that question.“I definitely didn’t expect everything that happened, but I can now say that there is indeed victory beyond fear.”Recalling the moments before the protest, Ahir said she had arrived intending to participate but was waiting for friends who never made it in time.“I had come specifically to be a part of this protest. I was waiting for my friends, but they got delayed and couldn’t make it. As I listened to the slogans, I thought to myself, ‘Why am I wasting my time? I should be there.'”She added that Mumbai’s traffic and parking challenges often make it difficult for people to reach demonstrations on time.“In Mumbai, traffic is a major issue, and finding parking is difficult. Because of that, you end up missing half the protest anyway…”‘My family told me: We’ll get through it’Ahir said she knew there was a possibility she could also be detained by the police.“I thought they might drag me away too, but then I looked around and realized there wasn’t even any space left, so where would they have kept me?”She admitted the experience left her shaken after returning home.“I won’t deny that I was scared last night. I didn’t fall asleep until 5.30 am. I was definitely worried about my family.”However, she said her family’s response strengthened her resolve.“But when I told them that the police might come, they simply said, ‘So what? We’ll handle it. We’ll get through it.'”“When you have such a courageous and supportive family—one that stands up for what is right and speaks against what is wrong—it gives you immense strength. That kind of support gives you the confidence to face any situation.”The video that went viralVideos of the confrontation spread widely on social media, with many showing Ahir standing in front of the police van as fellow demonstrators raised slogans in the rain, bringing traffic to a standstill.Another widely shared clip showed protesters chasing a police van and opening its rear door from the outside, allowing detained demonstrators to climb out while the vehicle was moving.Other videos from the protests captured residents cheering demonstrators from balconies despite the heavy rain, while another clip from Dadar showed protesters making way for children to reach a school bus.Who is Rhiya Ahir?According to her Instagram profile, Rhiya Ahir is an actor, model and entrepreneur with around one lakh followers on the platform.She has appeared in music videos, including Dilbara.Mumbai protests and police actionPolitical parties, activists and students staged protests across Mumbai for a third consecutive day on Wednesday over alleged examination irregularities and the police action against protesters in Delhi.According to Mumbai Police, 13 FIRs have been registered since July 18, with over 400 people booked on charges including unlawful assembly and violation of prohibitory orders.Police said demonstrations were held at several locations, including Shivaji Park, Chaityabhoomi, Chembur and Shiv Sena Bhavan, without permission.Meanwhile, prohibitory orders banning the assembly of five or more people in public places remain in force across Mumbai from July 23 to August 6, with police citing concerns over a possible breach of peace and public tranquillity.(With inputs from agencies)
