She is 80, frail, and barely able to travel, yet her resolve to fight for what is hers remains unshaken. At the Collector's public hearing in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, on Tuesday, an emotional scene moved everyone present. An elderly woman living in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, made the roughly 1,000 km journey lying in an ambulance, carrying a complaint about the encroachment on her plot, and appealed to the administration for justice.
The woman is Anisa Fatima, a retired teacher. She said that some years ago she had bought a plot in the Gandhi Nagar area of Indore. Two rooms also stand on this plot. Over time, she handed the responsibility of looking after the property to one of her own relatives. But that very trust turned into trouble for her. She alleges that the same relative gradually took over the plot and both rooms.
No Relief Even After Complaining
Anisa Fatima says that the moment she learned of the encroachment, she made every effort to get it removed. She also lodged a complaint at the Gandhi Nagar police station, but her problem was not resolved. According to her, the police took no concrete action. The elderly woman further alleged that the people who seized the property kept threatening her. It was this fear and pressure that forced her to leave Indore and move to Bijnor.
Even after years of waiting for justice in vain, she refused to give up and decided once again to knock on the administration's door. Her advancing age and failing health could not weaken her determination.
Reached the Hearing With Family and Lawyer
On Tuesday, Anisa Fatima arrived in Indore by ambulance along with her family members and lawyer, and placed her complaint at the Collector's public hearing. She clearly demanded that her property be freed from encroachment and that strict action be taken against those responsible. An 80-year-old woman travelling such a distance in an ambulance to seek justice became a talking point among those present at the hearing.
For now, all eyes are on the stand the administration takes. It remains to be seen how soon this elderly woman gets justice, and what steps the officials take to return her property to her.
