✨ Shaheeba Bano: From Injustice to Inspiration — Honored with Jan Mitra Samman by PVCHR
📅 Date of Award: 26 June 2025
🏆 Occasion: UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture
📍 Location: PVCHR Office, Varanasi
💰 Upcoming Honor: ₹10,000 token award in Sonbhadra (September 2025)
🌺 Dancing on Resilience: A Celebration of Courage
On the occasion of the UN International Day in Support of Victims of Torture (26 June 2025), People’s Vigilance Committee on Human Rights (PVCHR) and Jan Mitra Nyas, with support from the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture, United Against Torture, and IRCT, came together to celebrate the unbreakable spirit of survivors. Among the voices of resistance and recovery, one name shone with quiet strength:
👉 Mrs. Shaheeba Bano — widow, mother, survivor, and now, a symbol of courage.
She was awarded the prestigious “Jan Mitra Samman” for her fearless fight against custodial injustice, social ostracism, and her extraordinary effort to earn a livelihood for her children after the custodial death of her husband, Ibrahim.
🎖️ The Award Ceremony
The certificate and citation were handed over by PVCHR intern Ms. Sanjana Shukla, in the presence of PVCHR leadership and community members. The moment was more than symbolic — it was the formal recognition of a woman who refused to be silenced by fear, trauma, or stigma.
Her citation honored her:
"For your unyielding bravery in the face of systemic oppression, for turning grief into strength, and for lighting a path for countless others in the margins — PVCHR recognizes you as a true Jan Mitra."
📽️ Mr. Ankit Singh, a student at Delhi School of Social Work, Delhi University, documented the event in a powerful short film. The documentary captures her struggle, her tears, her resilience — and the joy of being seen, heard, and celebrated. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IMRql5GFjM
💔 Her Story: Riding on Broken Dreams
Shaheeba's life changed forever in February 2021. Her husband, Ibrahim, was illegally detained and died under suspicious circumstances in judicial custody in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh. Official reports claimed suicide, but the bruises on his body and the timeline tell a different story — a story of torture, cover-ups, and institutional failure.
Left alone with four children, societal rejection, and no income, Shaheeba was forced to pick up the broken pieces of her life. She began renting out and then driving the very auto-rickshaw her husband once owned — a vehicle that once symbolized hope, and now bore the weight of grief.
🧕🏽 "People stare when I drive the auto. They whisper, they judge. But I have mouths to feed and dreams to protect," she says.
⚖️ From Silence to Justice: PVCHR's Intervention
With the support of PVCHR and a complaint submitted by Lenin Raghuvanshi, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) took cognizance of the custodial death.
🔎 NHRC Case Nos. 5884/24/69/2021-JCD & 8408/24/69/2023-AD
🌍 Her Struggle Resonates Globally
Shaheeba’s story intersects with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
-
SDG 5 – Gender Equality
-
SDG 16 – Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions
-
SDG 1 & 10 – No Poverty & Reduced Inequalities
-
SDG 3 – Good Health & Well-being
She stands today not just as a widow or survivor — but as a torchbearer of community justice and hope.
🏅 What’s Next?
In September 2025, PVCHR will hold a second honor ceremony in Sonbhadra, where Mrs. Shaheeba Bano will be awarded a token monetary prize of ₹10,000, along with renewed efforts to create a supportive ecosystem around her — including legal aid, educational support for her children, and advocacy training.
📢 Join Us in Supporting Heroes Like Shaheeba
PVCHR continues to amplify the stories of survivors, challenge custodial impunity, and build a pluralistic democracy rooted in justice.
🤝 If you’d like to support our work or connect with Mrs. Bano’s advocacy journey, please reach out.
🔖 Hashtags to Share and Spread
#JanMitraSamman #ShaheebaBano #PVCHR #CustodialJustice #StopTorture #UNDay2025 #IRCT #UnitedAgainstTorture #SDG16 #JusticeForIbrahim #HumanRightsIndia #TestimonialHealing #LeninRaghuvanshi #ShrutiNagvanshi #JanMitraNyas #UNSupportForTortureVictims #WomenRise #SurvivorVoices #AutoRickshawOfHope
No comments:
Post a Comment