Stating that the matter is now subjudice, Noorjehan Safia Niaz, one of the petitioners who filed a PIL challenging the ban on women's entry into the Dargah's sanctum sanctorum, said, "We have to be patient. What is the hurry and what are you trying to prove by going there or protesting?"
While Trupti Desai may be protesting every other day and has even given an ultimatum, the group which has filed a PIL in Bombay High Court for entry of women into Haji Ali Dargah's sanctum sanctorum has conspicuously stayed away from any protest. The reason, said the group, is that court order will be the best justice they will get.
Stating that the matter is now subjudice, Noorjehan Safia Niaz, one of the petitioners who filed a PIL challenging the ban on women's entry into the Dargah's sanctum sanctorum, said, "We have to be patient. What is the hurry and what are you trying to prove by going there or protesting?"
Niaz along with Zakia Soman, the other petitioner, filed the PIL as part of the fight for women's equal rights after co-founding the Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA). Since its inception, BMMA has protested, negotiated and done survey of 19 dargahs in the metropolitan region, out of which 12 give access to women.
"I can understand that before going to court, the agitation was fine. There were efforts to talk, negotiate and educate. Those alternatives could not give any results; so we were not left with any other option but to go to court. It cannot happen that we are going to court and also going there. We believe in democracy and have faith in democratic institutions. Judiciary a major pillar of the democratic institution," said Soman.
The duo had earlier slammed political parties and elected representatives for failing to deliver on their constitutional duty of providing equal rights. "This step too was taken after the women's commission, chief minister's office and minorities commission failed to give us justice on this rule of the Dargah that came into effect in 2011. We protested and negotiated with them for two years before going to court. They would not even listen to us or sit down to talk to us," said Niaz.
"The verdict will come in accordance with law and best principles of justice. I do not think it is the right thing to take a step like this when a verdict is awaited. We are hopeful about a positive verdict and there has been a lot of support from Muslims and non-Muslims. Even Ajmer Dargah has spoken in our favour," said Soman.
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 "Haji Ali Dargah")
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