New Delhi: Eighty-two-year-old Shaheen Bagh protester Bilkis, who was recognised by the TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2020, on Thursday expressed happiness and thanked people for the recognition.
Speaking exclusively to ETV Bharat, the octogenarian said, "I feel very happy. Everybody gave me so much respect, and I earned a name because of them."
Bilkis however, did not say much about the Citizenship Amendment Act and the opposition to it, as she said now was the time to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
The 82-year-old, who had shot into the limelight last year during the months-long anti-citizenship law protest at Shaheen Bagh in Delhi, was recognised by TIME magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2020.
During the protest, which began in December, the octogenarian sat under a tent with hundreds of women and children, braving icy winds. She emerged as the face of the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the proposed National Register of Citizens.
The protest at Shaheen Bagh ended in March this year in view of the COVID-19 outbreak and a subsequent lockdown announced by the government to contain the spread of the disease.
Also on TIME magazine's list from India are Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana.
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