New Delhi: Dimple Singh has been spending her nights on the footpaths outside Jantar Mantar, the CJP protest site, where surging crowds and limited space are forcing many like her to sleep in the open.For women, though, the struggle extends far beyond sleeping arrangements.“Most people are civil, but there are moments when our personal space is violated. With no protection from police, drunkards sometimes bother girls while they are demonstrating on the streets or at Jantar Mantar,” Dimple, a Delhiite, said.Some of the women told TOI how they were dealing with fears of harassment. Twenty-year-old Ekta (name changed) said she has been sticking close to a group of women since July 20 when she and a friend were beaten up with lathis by some men in civvies. “I got hit on my chest. Now, I am anxious whenever an unknown man stands near me because I don’t know whether he is a policeman or not. It’s not my responsibility to differentiate between who is well-intentioned and who isn’t. The State should protect us, even if we are protesters,” Ekta said.Lack of hygiene is another major concern, with very few toilets near the protest site, particularly for women who are menstruating. This prompted Swati Sharma, 30, a working professional from west Delhi, to step in with sanitary napkins and hygiene products for the agitators, including her sister Sonal. “I realised what the girls camping there must be going through with only two washrooms nearby,” Swati said.TOI saw a portable toilet at the rear entrance of Jantar Mantar wrapped in a white sheet. It was unusable. A nearby NDMC public toilet, one of the few available to the protesters, was poorly maintained, raising concerns over hygiene and the risk of urinary tract infections.Camping at the protest site for the past three days is 60-year-old Mehrunisha, who carries a bottle of water each time she visits the washroom. “It’s a public toilet, but nobody cleans it. So, we carry drinking water to clean it after each use,” she said. Leaning on a walking stick, she said that access to clean public toilets is a necessity, adding, “We are here with a public demand, but just to quash that, the system is depriving us of our basic rights.”Some of the women protesters were seen using the restrooms of nearby cafes and a hotel.Swati’s sister Sonal said the demonstrators were doing their best to keep the area clean despite the cramped conditions and humid weather. “The men are also making sure that the general hygiene at the protest site is maintained and litter is picked up regularly,” Sonal said.Women who have travelled to Jantar Mantar from other states appear to face greater challenges. Sisters Shazia (20) and Sanya Ansari (18) from Balian, Uttar Pradesh, arrived there at 6 am on Thursday and did not use a washroom since late afternoon. “Even in this heat, I’m drinking less water so that I don’t have to go to the dirty washroom,” Shazia said, adding that they planned to wait till they go to their uncle’s house at night.
