is evidence of how far they went to harass witnesses.

The grassroot revolt by women is a very positive and sustainable way to change ...shoots of Bohra Spring are encouraging

This month, a petition to abolish female genital mutilation (FGM) in India has been doing the rounds on Change.Org. Started by Masooma Ranalvi, a writer and publisher who works on women’s issues, the petition addresses Maneka Gandhi and two other ministers, asking them to criminalise FGM in India. Since then, Ranalvi’s petition has been supported by 16 other women from the Dawoodi Bohra community who have also undergone FGM, and signed by thousands of others. Ranalvi has written about her own experience in The Quint and on NDTV.

As Ranalvi’s petition tells us, FGM has been made illegal in more thanwho had undergone similar experiences. Our mutual need and desire to share experiences, thoughts, views, ideas on FGM led to the formation of a forum called Speak out on FGM.

The petition on Change.org to End FGM was part of our effort to mobilize support and to draw attention of the world to our cause and to appeal to the Indian Government to ban this practice.

The last 2 weeks I have spent in my birthplace, Mumbai meeting and interacting with several Bohra women.

Like the story of young Farida Kapasi, who teaches in a college in Mumbai, just talking about her FGC experience she broke into a cold sweat and started shivering. The horrific experience she had when she underwent circumcision has stayed with her decades later.

The story I hear