25 years ago, she had lost her father to extortionists in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar after he refused to pay the money they were asking for. She was just four years old when the bullet-ridden body of her father was brought home. Today, Anjum Saifi, has become a proud judge.
According to a report by Times of India, Rasheed Ahmad was a hawker in Muzaffarnagar when in 1992 he refused to pay the extortion money to local goons. They killed him.
Anjum says, “My father died fighting for what was right. He wanted to change things for the better but the prevalent system did not allow him. My only aim has been to uphold his values and keep people’s faith in righteousness intact. Now god has given me the power to initiate that change and I will try to make a difference in whatever capacity I can. His sacrifice will not go waste.”
Anjum says she has a faint memory of her father asking her to become a judge. This dream was fulfilled recently when she found her name in the successful candidates’ list of civil judge junior division exams declared by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC).
Anjum’s mother Hamida Begum wishes her husband was alive to see their daughter fulfill his dream.
Dilshad Ahmad is Anjum’s eldest of five brothers. 40-year-old Dilshad did not marry to discharge the father’s duty at home.
He told Times of India, “The family went through a lot to see the realization of our dad’s dream. We faced unspeakable hardships all these years. It was a struggle at many fronts, monetary concerns were just a small part.”