A seven-year-old girl from Ambur in Tamil Nadu decided to punish her father for not keeping his two-year-old promise to build a toilet at home, and took him to the police station.
E Hanifa Zaara has accused her father, Esanullah (31), of cheating after he promised her two years ago to build her a toilet at home if she came first in her class.
Two years ago she studied in Lower Kindergarten (LKG); now in class II, Zaara told the cops that she has consistently topped the class for the last two years.
Zaara’s Protest Started With An Overnight Hunger Strike
According to her mother Mehareen (26), on Monday, after finishing her half-yearly exams, Zaara returned home and insisted on going to the police station.
“I tried to explain her our financial position and how her father is currently unemployed. But nothing could dissuade her. She had stopped eating since Sunday night, so I had to go with her.”Mehreen, Zaara’s Mother
Zaara and Mehareen approached the Ambur all-women police station. Police sub-inspector A Valarmathi told the Times of India that Zaara brought around 20 medals and several certificates as proof of her academic excellence.
“As she explained her troubles, I called the Sanitary Officer and asked him to help Hanifa’s family build the toilet,” she said.
“He promised to construct the toilet two years back and to this date he hasn’t built it. I am a growing girl and I feel embarrassed and ashamed to defecate in the open. Thus, I approached the police station to lodge a complaint against my father,”E Hanifa Zaara
I’ve Taught Her to Be Bold: Esanullah
At around 3:30 pm a clueless Esanullah received a call summoning him to the police station. Esanullah said:
“I was quite scared when the lady officer called me to immediately report to the police station. I was puzzled when I saw my wife and daughter in the police station. The inspector then apprised me about the situation and asked me to convince Hanifa and take her home.”Esanullah, Zaara’s Father
Esanullah is quite proud of Hanifa, the eldest of his two girls and said, “I have always taught her to be bold and approach the police whenever she faces any problem.”
According to Esanullah, he has twice submitted petitions to the Ambur Municipality, requesting financial aid under the Swachh Bharat scheme to build a toilet.
Thanks to Zaara’s bold proactive step, civic body authorities came to their home hours after the family returned from the police station. They have assured the family that a new toilet will be built soon, under the central government’s scheme.
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