Key facts
- Umar Khalid has been incarcerated in India for six years without trial.
- Khalid, a prominent activist and critic of the Modi government's Hindu nationalist agenda, was arrested in 2020 on terror charges.
- He denies all charges, describing them as 'dystopian' and alleging fabricated evidence.
- International human rights groups have condemned his prolonged detention.
- Khalid speaks of the psychological toll of imprisonment and the dehumanizing effects of propaganda.
Umar Khalid, a prominent student rights activist and a vocal critic of India's Hindu nationalist government, has described the profound psychological impact of his six years of incarceration without trial. Speaking from Tihar prison, Khalid, known by prisoner number 626714, detailed the 'punishing dread' of captivity and the dehumanizing effects of propaganda that labels him a terrorist and an anti-national.
Khalid rose to national prominence as a leader of the 2019 anti-government protests against a citizenship law perceived as discriminatory towards Muslims. He was arrested in September 2020 on charges of being a 'key conspirator' in deadly Delhi riots and conspiring for 'violent regime change,' accusations he vehemently denies as 'dystopian.' Despite being over 1,000 miles away during the February 2020 riots, he was accused of masterminding them.
His detention has drawn condemnation from international human rights groups, though the Indian government maintains its judicial system is independent. Khalid, a Muslim, has been a fierce critic of the ruling BJP's agenda to transform India into a Hindu nation, accusing the government of persecuting minorities. He expressed horror at the 'normalisation and glorification of hate speech' and stated that India is nearing a 'post-truth society.'
Khalid reflected on the difficulty of maintaining sanity and humanity when reduced to a public image, acknowledging his own vulnerabilities. He noted that even sympathizers sometimes forget his humanity. His activism began earlier, including a 2016 arrest for sedition. While others implicated in the same case have been granted bail, Khalid's legal battle continues with repeated judicial delays and recusals.