“Please hear her out. Maybe that will ensure that we don’t have another suicide at Jantar Mantar,” pleads a Delhi Police personnel stationed at Jantar Mantar on Thursday afternoon.
The person he is trying to save is Noor Saba, a 73-year-old widow of a school principal from Uttar Pradesh. She claims to have waged a judicial battle for more than 35 years without any success to get her husband’s pension.
Saba says she will immolate herself at Jantar Mantar, the very spot where farmer Gajendra Singh hanged himself from a tree on Wednesday, if her demands are not met in the next couple of days.
“Pay me what is due to me. Allow me to live with dignity at least in my old age. I don’t want to burden my children with my medical expense. I want the government to release my husband’s pension which is my right,” Saba said.
As images of Gajendra Singh committing suicide still remain fresh in public memory, the Delhi Police has refused to take any chances. Police said there are personnel posted at Jantar Mantar, one of the most favourite venues for the aggrieved from all over the country to camp and protest against the establishment, than ever before. The police team has been specifically told to be more vigilant lest the venue turns into a suicide point, a police officer said.
The widow came to Delhi on April 18 to protest at Jantar Mantar and has threatened to burn her husband’s national and state awards, medals and certificates conferred to him in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan on April 28 and then immolate herself on April 30 in case her case is not looked into immediately.
“She is sitting very near the tree where yesterday’s accident happened,” said a Delhi Police constable pointing to one of the many tents dotting the sidewalks at Jantar Mantar. “We are on alert to ensure that no untoward incident happens. What happened yesterday was unfortunate,” he added.
Noor Saba who claims to have ‘heard’ the commotion related to the farmer’s death on Wednesday said: “Sadly, the government has left us with no option but to die. Our voices have been drowned by the greed and corruption of the system and we are heard only after we take a public and dramatic step.”
DCP, New Delhi, Vijay Singh said: “We aren’t aware of this lady. On an average Jantar Mantar has about 400-500 police personnel stationed there through the day and in case of a large rally we have 2000 plus staff at the spot.”
The police team has been specifically told to be more vigilant, if Jantar Mantar turns into a suicide point, a police officer said
