HYDERABAD: Imagine waking up to the horror of seeing one of your worst nightmares come true. This still stands far from conveying the accurate experience several women in the country have been going through since the dawn of 2022. More and more Muslim women have been approaching police after finding their photographs put for auction through the Bulli Bai app.
Two women from Hyderabad became victims of the shady app. They open up to CE about the harrowing experience. Speaking about how it all started, one of the victims, a city-based journalist, says, “One of my social media acquaintances reached out to me saying that they saw my name on the app.” Once she learnt of it, she rushed to look for it herself. “I checked the database file that got archived and found my name on it too,” she says.
A sociopolitical activist is the second woman from Hyderabad whose photo was morphed to be auctioned through the Bulli Bai app. “Three days ago, I was consoling another woman who told me that her pictures were put up on the app. When I learnt that many such women were being targeted, I took the mic and demanded that the perpetrators be punished. I told her not to worry and that we are all with her in this. I told her that she has nothing to be ashamed of and the culprits will pay for their deeds. My heart pained as I comforted her because it was shocking to know that something like Sulli Deals (which made headlines last year) was making a comeback with this app.”
But, little did the activist know what was to come a day later. She was in a meeting and was in for a rude shock when somebody called her up to inform her that she was the latest victim whose photograph has been put for auction on the app. “I asked them to share some screenshots or proof and was shocked to see my picture on the list.”
But her only reaction to what happened to her was that of pity. “At that very moment, I felt pity for the mindset of the perpetrators. I knew that women between ages 20 and 30 were being targeted on the app, but to think someone would do that to me is just so sad. It reeks of their rotten mindset,” says the 67-year-old activist.
Agitated and determined to put an end to this, she wasted no time and rushed to police. “I consulted my advocate and lodged a complaint. I realised that social media, too, is a great way to garner support and be vocal. So, I took that route too. The cops responded to our tweets, took our issue seriously and assured speedy justice.”
A day later, she approached the Women’s Commission where several activists from the city, Muslim and non-Muslim, vowed to fight this with her. The activist believes that she and many vocal Muslim women like her were being targeted for a reason. “We had demanded the arrest of people like Narsighanand Giri, who had made vile comments about Muslim women and Islam. We even spoke against provocative speeches made by Kalicharan Maharaj. The radicals felt pressured, with even the international media watching us. These people behind Bulli Bai and Sulli Deals aim to shut us up. It’s either that or to divert people’s minds from these and other important issues.”
Asserting that such plans would backfire, she says, “Whatever the reason, this is us telling them that we won’t stay silent. Despite the backlash, Shaheen Bagh went on strong. So, things like this won’t silence us. If anything, we’ll come back stronger and louder. Let them do whatever they wish to, we won’t let them change the true fabric of India -- will fight hate by promoting love.”