Triple talaq victim Anisha Bano was stopped from performing yajna by the Dharmshala committee in Haridwar.
During the month of Sawan, the number of Shiva devotees and Kanwariyas is surging in the holy city of Haridwar. Meanwhile, five ex-Muslims from Ghaziabad, UP have arrived in the holy city to collect Ganga water.
This group includes several women, including Anisha Bano, the victim of Rajasthan’s famous Halala case, who have fought a long battle against malpractices like triple talaq. This group was performing a yagna at a dharamshala in Haridwar and was preparing to depart with Kanwad on August 7.
However, as soon as the dharamshala committee got wind of this, they raised objections. Seeing the dispute escalate, the devotees left that dharamshala and took shelter in another Teerth Ashram. As soon as information about this ritual by non-Hindus/ex-Muslims was received, intelligence agencies and local police went on alert mode and reached the spot to appeal to everyone to maintain law and order.
Anisha Bano’s 3 Big Points
1. Came to Haridwar to Perform Yagna- Anisha Bano said, “I came here with my group of 35 people (which also includes Salim Vastavee) to perform a yagna. Our aim was to give a message to eliminate fundamentalism, atrocities against women, and evil practices like halala and triple talaq from society.
“But here the police objected that we should not make reels or go live, as there is a fear of disturbing the atmosphere. When we are working for humanity, no one needs to be afraid. Now on the 7th, we will collect Ganga water from here and start the Kanwar Yatra for Ghaziabad.”
Anisha Bano, victim of the Halala case, performing yagna with companions in Haridwar.
2. Madrasas should be closed, children should get good education- “For me, humanity is the biggest religion. Our constitution allows us to follow any religion or faith of our choice. I want places like madrasas to be closed, children to get good education and atrocities like halala and abandonment after divorce on women to stop.
Things like Sharia law should be eliminated from India.”
3. Husband remarried, children taken away – “Both my children are with my husband and he has also remarried. Just a few days ago, I went to Rajasthan to meet my children, but my father-in-law closed the doors and the police did not help me either.
My innocent children were crying and screaming from inside to meet me, but I was not allowed to meet them. I cannot leave my children in that fundamentalist and filthy environment, I will go wherever I have to go to get them out of there.”
Who is Anisha Bano? Inside story of nikah, triple talaq and pressure for halala from father-in-law
1. Marriage took place in 2012, Anisha is a mother of two children. Anisha Bano’s nikah (marriage) took place on May 19, 2012, with Irfan Rao, a resident of Nagaur district (Degana, Rajasthan). Anisha’s in-laws’ family was considered socially and educationally strong.
Her father-in-law Kalu Mohammad was a former Naib Tehsildar. After the nikah, the couple had two innocent children – a daughter (12) and a son (7).
2. Fights over trivial matters and then triple talaq – A few years after the marriage, disputes and harassment over trivial matters began at her in-laws’ house. The dispute escalated so much that in December 2024, during a family argument, husband Irfan Rao, in a fit of anger, pronounced triple talaq to Anisha in one breath and tried to throw her out of the house.
3. Pressure to perform halala with father-in-law – The very next day after giving talaq, when the husband realised his mistake, he talked about taking Anisha back. But citing religion and Shariat, the in-laws pressured Anisha to perform nikah halala.
The situation crossed all limits when Anisha was given the condition to perform nikah with her own father-in-law (former Naib Tehsildar Kalu Mohammad) and have physical relations with him to complete the halala process.
4. Thrown out of the house upon Anisha’s refusal- Anisha Bano flatly refused to accept this condition. Enraged by this rebellion, her in-laws snatched away both her innocent children from her and sent Anisha empty-handed to her maternal home.
Due to not being able to meet or even talk to her children for months, Anisha was mentally broken.
5. Police did not register the case- After reaching her maternal home, Anisha tried to file a complaint with the police, but the local police kept delaying due to the influence of her in-laws. After this, Anisha showed courage and came on news channels to narrate her ordeal. When public outrage spread across the country, only then did the police register a case against her husband and father-in-law.
6. Left religion two years ago, now immersed in Shiva devotion- After this mental and physical torture in the name of halala, Anisha lost faith in this system and about two years ago she abandoned her old religion and adopted the Sanatan lifestyle. Now the same Anisha Bano has reached Haridwar with a group of ex-Muslim Kanwariyas from Ghaziabad.
7. Changed location after objection- This Kanwar group from Ghaziabad had stopped at a dharamshala located on Road in Haridwar and started a havan-yagya, which was proposed to continue until August 6. However, as soon as news spread about non-Hindus/ex-Muslims performing havan in the dharamshala, members of the Road Dharamshala Committee raised objections to this.
Seeing the dispute escalating, Salim Vastvik and Anisha Bano, along with the entire group, left the Road Dharamshala and shifted to another Tirth Ashram in the city. As soon as information about the incident was received, local police (LIU) and intelligence agencies swung into action. Police officers reached the spot and appealed to everyone to maintain peace and law and order.
8. Will collect Ganga water from Har Ki Pauri on August 7 – The organisers clarified that the continuous havan-yagya will continue at the new ashram until August 6. After that, on August 7, all devotees will collect Ganga water from Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar and depart on foot for Ghaziabad. Upon reaching Ghaziabad, this procession will perform the Jalabhishek (water offering) of Lord Shiva at the famous Dasna Devi Temple (Dasna Peeth).
