“Today is truly the New Year for me. I have wept tears of relief. I have smiled for the first time in over a year and half. I have hugged my children,” stated Bilkis Yakub Rasool on January 8 following the Supreme Court’s order in quashing the remission granted to the 11 men convicted of gang-raping Bilkis Bano and murdering 14 members of her family in 2002.

On January 8, the Supreme Court bench of Justice B.V. Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan nullified the Gujarat government’s order of early release of 11 men jailed for life.

The statement which was issued through Bano’s advocate Shobha Gupta, displayed Bano’s gratitude to the solidarity and support shown by her family, relatives, the public, her lawyer and the Supreme Court.

“It feels like a stone the size of a mountain has been lifted from my chest, and I can breathe again. This is what justice feels like,” stated Bano who thanked the Supreme Court of India for giving her, her children and women everywhere, the vindication and hope in the promise of equal justice for all.

“I have said before, and I say again today, journeys like mine can never be made alone. I have had my husband and my children by my side. I have had my friends who have given me so much love at a time of such hate, and held my hand at each difficult turn,” said Bano who also acknowledged her lawyer, Advocate Shobha Gupta, who walked with her over 20 years, with perseverance in the pursuit of justice.

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On August 15, 2022, when the 11 accused were given an early release, Bano mentioned the distress and exhaustion of courage in her. “Until a million solidarities came my way. Thousands of ordinary people and women of India came forward. They stood with me, spoke for me, and filed PIL petitions in the Supreme Court. 6000 people from all over, and 8500 people from Mumbai wrote appeals; 10,000 people wrote an Open Letter, as did 40,000 people from 29 districts of Karnataka. To each of these people, my gratitude for your precious solidarity and strength. You gave me the will to struggle, to rescue the idea of justice not just for me, but for every woman in India. I thank you,” expressed Bano.