Five Years of Injustice – The Continued Imprisonment of Umar Khalid and Other Youth Activists

It has now been five years since Umar Khalid and several young activists from India’s minority communities were imprisoned under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Their only “crime” was peacefully challenging the rising tide of Hindu nationalism and defending India’s constitutional values. Their prolonged incarceration stands as a chilling symbol of shrinking democratic space, where dissent is criminalized, and fundamental human rights are systematically eroded.

Targeted for Defending the Constitution

The activists had participated in nationwide protests against:

• The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)

• The proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC)

• Widespread violence and discrimination targeting minorities

Their campaigns emphasised religious freedom, equality, and pluralism, grounding their arguments firmly in the Indian Constitution. They called for peaceful resistance and democratic accountability.

After the 2020 Delhi Pogrom

Following the Delhi pogrom of February 2020, where Muslim-majority neighbourhoods were attacked by Hindutva mobs alongside sections of the police, the Delhi Police shifted blame onto the victims themselves.
Those who had spoken against the discriminatory citizenship laws were suddenly portrayed as “conspirators of the riots.”

Rather than prosecuting those who perpetrated violence, the state focused on activists, students, and academics, charging them under UAPA—a law that allows indefinite imprisonment without trial.

Selective Editing, Media Manipulation & Political Motives

Khalid and others repeatedly testified that their speeches were:

• Selectively edited

• Falsely attributed

• Amplified by the ruling party’s IT Cell

• Misrepresented by pro-government media outlets

This misinformation formed the basis of the charges—yet courts have continued extending their incarceration.

Global Calls for Their Release

The arrests have sparked widespread condemnation from:

• United Nations Special Rapporteurs

• Amnesty International

• Human Rights Watch

• Indian human rights defenders

• Prominent opposition leaders

• International civil society groups

These bodies have affirmed that the activists are not criminals but prisoners of conscience, targeted for peacefully opposing discriminatory laws.

A Symbol of Resistance

As the fifth year passes, Umar Khalid remains behind bars—without conviction, without justice, and without the basic protections guaranteed in a democratic society.
His imprisonment is not merely an attack on an individual; it is an attack on:

• the right to dissent,

• freedom of expression,

• communal harmony,

• and the principles of India’s secular constitutional framework.

Umar Khalid and his fellow activists stand today as symbols of resilience, resistance, and the ongoing struggle for justice in India. Their continued detention is a stark reminder of what is at stake for all who believe in democratic rights and human dignity.