As Jamia Millia Islamia celebrates its 104th year—a legacy shaped by the ideals of equality and freedom—messages of pride resonate throughout our community. But for me, this day is also marked by a sense of emptiness. Jamia, born from the spirit of the freedom movement, stands tall, yet how do we honour it while voices like Meeran Haider’s remain silenced?

Meeran was more than an activist; he was a guiding presence, an elder brother (to me and many others) who fought tirelessly for his peers. Without a formal student union, he took on the responsibility of representing us all. From protesting rising fees to addressing poor hygiene in the canteen and inadequate hostel facilities, he championed issues that mattered, often risking his own comfort and safety.

I remember the 2016 incident, just before Independence Day, when police entered Jamia’s campus, allegedly for religious profiling. Amidst the fear and division this sparked, Meeran stepped up, organising a massive protest that compelled the administration to respond. With his courage and unwavering commitment, he united us, bridging our differences. Meeran understood that a university is a microcosm of society, a space for diverse voices, and he fought tirelessly to ensure ours were heard.

His greatest test came during the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA)—a law widely criticised for excluding Muslim migrants from a pathway to citizenship. At a time when the nation was divided, Meeran became a unifying force at Jamia, embracing the monumental task of rallying diverse student community at Jamia. From brewing chai for tired protesters to drafting press notes, guiding juniors with essays, and helping students secure hostel admissions, he embodied a leadership that went beyond words. In every gesture, big or small, Meeran demonstrated this; that true leadership is about standing beside people, embodying justice and unity.

Today marks another year that Meeran has spent in jail—over four years—alongside activists like Umar Khalid, charged in connection with the CAA protests. While his juniors (including me) and batchmates have moved forward, there’s a debt of unspoken gratitude that we owe him. A few weeks ago, I heard he was briefly out on parole, but I couldn’t gather the courage to call. Perhaps it was shame—shame for the freedom I enjoy while he remains confined.

As Jamia marks this anniversary, it’s not only the walls and buildings that symbolize its legacy but also the sacrifices of those like Meeran. He often quoted Tagore, his eyes lighting up as he recited lines that spoke of a world unbound by fear, where truth and reason prevailed. Those words echo now as a silent prayer for his freedom.

Meeran —your absence is deeply felt. While we celebrate Jamia’s achievements, we also celebrate the courage of those who stood firm in the face of injustice. Jamia misses you, and we hold onto the hope that you will return to walk the halls again, head held high!

(The author is a Jamia Millia Islamia and U.S. Department of State alumnus. He works as a non-profit communications specialist, focusing on storytelling that amplifies community voices) 

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In 2020, Gulfisha Fatima was arrested under FIR 48 related to the communal violence in Delhi. The FIR was registered at Jafrabad Police Station and included serious charges such as murder, rioting, unlawful assembly, and sedition. Initially, Gulfisha was granted bail on May 13, 2020 for FIR 48. However, within ten days, she was subsequently charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 (UAPA) in another case by April 19. The police have claimed that Gulfisha was physically present at the protest site near Jafrabad Metro Station from February 22 to 24, where she is accused of conspiring and instigating violence during protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act. The police have further also claimed that she had had an office near the protest site from where she would take to planning riots with others, including those accused in the case such as Khalid Saifi, Natasha Narwal, Devangana Kalita, and her lawyer Mehmood Pracha.

After several such arrests, experts from the United Nations called the arrests politically motivated and called for her release, along with other protestors. “These defenders, many of them students, appear to have been arrested simply because they exercised their right to denounce and protest against the CAA (Citizenship Amendment Act).”

The experts termed the arrests as “designed to send a chilling message…that criticism of government policies will not be tolerated.”

Furthermore, besides FIR 48 and 59, Gulfisha has been implicated in several other cases, such as FIRs 83 and 50 of 2020. She was granted bail in one case related to FIR 58 but denied in others, including the UAPA case where her plea for default bail was dismissed, and thus remains in prison.

In 2022, Gulfisha Fatima pleaded to the court that the witnesses against her by the prosecution were actually ‘accused’, “unpardoned accused masquerading as witnesses against her.” Similarly, her lawyer, Mehmood Paracha, accused the prosecution of using ‘diversionary tactics’ to ensure that she remains in prison.

Gulfisha has seen widespread support from citizens. Soon after her arrest, her supporters and well-wishers released a letter in support of her, describing her as “falsely charged under the draconian UAPA law for daring to defend the Constitution, and for peacefully resisting the anti-people CAA-NRC-NPR. Just as she lit up the protest spaces with her warm smiles, compassion and innate intelligence, Gulfisha, lovingly known as Gul, continues to keep the flame of justice alive within her at Tihar Jail, as well as the urge to carry on the legacy of her ideals – Savitribai Phule and Fatima Sheikh – the foremost feminist educators of this land!”

In a story by Huff Post, Gulfisha is described by her family as quiet and studious and an individual who has a strong sense of justice. Gulfisha’s brother narrates how her last few words during her arrest were, “Her voice was calm. Baaji has never been one to get emotional about things. All she said was to tell abba and ammi.” It took about 25 days for her brother to come up with the courage to tell their parents, who, according to the piece, run a small general store in Delhi.

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The Supreme Court is all set to hear a batch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019. A bench of the Chief Justice of India UU Lalit and Justice Ravindra S. Bhat will be considering the petitions filed challenging the amendment, which are over 200 in number.

The Citizenship Amendment Act was passed by the Parliament on December 11, 2019, after which it met with protests all across the country. The CAA came into effect on January 10, 2020. The law fast-tracks the process of granting citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled religious persecution in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and took refuge in India on or before December 31, 2014.

Petitions were then filed against the discriminatory nature of this law which leaves out the Muslim community from the process of getting citizenship and is therefore perceived to be promoting religion-based discrimination. It is only applicable to migrants who entered India on or before December 31, 2014. As per the amendment, certain areas in the Northeast are exempted from the provision.

Indian Union Muslim League, a Kerala based political party, Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra, Congress leader and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) leader Asaduddin Owaisi, Congress leader Debabrata Saikia, NGOs Rihai Manch and Citizens Against Hate, Assam Advocates Association, and law students are amongst several others who had filed the plea before the top court challenging the Act.

The amendments have also been challenged on several other grounds, including the violation of secularism, Articles 21 (right to life), 15 (prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth) and 19 (right to freedom), as well as the provisions on citizenship and constitutional morality.

The pleas against the CAA first came up for hearing in the Supreme Court on December 18, 2019. It was last heard on June 15, 2021. It may be noted that in December 2019, the Bench comprising CJI Bobde and Justices BR Gavai and Surya Kant had asked the Centre to file a response by the second week of January. In January 2020, a bench led by the then CJI SA Bobde issued a notice to the Central Government in the petitions while refusing to pass an interim order staying the law without hearing the Centre.

In March 2020, BC Joshi, Director in the Ministry of Home Affairs, filed a 129-page affidavit on the behalf of the central government, in response to the pleas challenging the constitutional validity of CAA, termed the legislation legal and asserted that there was no question of it violating constitutional morality.

Asserting that the citizenship law was is “perfectly legal and constitutional”, the central government said that it is matter concerning the sovereign power of parliament and “could not be questioned” before the court.

Responding to the fact that the amendment applies only to six communities in three countries when there are other minorities in these countries, the Centre put forth that the conferment of citizenship is a sovereign function. “The Indian parliament, which doubtlessly has the legislative competence, is not required to take into consideration as to which other communities are treated as minorities in the said three named countries,” reads the counter-affidavit filed by the government.

It further states, “The said classified communities are persecuted in the particular neighboring countries as has been acknowledged and recognized by Parliamentary Committees as well as other contemporaneous official record and during the debates in the Indian Parliament.” It was also argued that the CAA Act is a “benign piece of legislation”, which does not seek to affect the legal, democratic or secular rights of any of the Indian citizens.

The entire counter-affidavit may be read here: 

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The Uttar Pradesh government has sanctioned the trials against 67 people booked in Bijnor district, who have been accused of being involved in “clashes” that took place on December 20, 2019, during anti Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests. According to a news report in the Times of India, the local police had booked 67 people including a former chairman of nagar palika, who had been named in four first information reports (FIRs).

According to the news report, the accused were charged under multiple sections of IPC, including 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) and 295- A (Injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class). 

Under these IPC sections, a prior sanction of the state or the central government is mandatory before trials can begin against the accused. The UP Police had filed a provisional charge sheet against the accused and had to wait for the “prosecution sanction from the government” which was granted last week. Like Bijnor several other districts have also applied for the sanction, added the TOI quoting Bijnor’s SP Dharamveer Singh: “After collecting evidence against the accused, we had sought permission for prosecution for 153-A of IPC from the regime. The government has granted permission. ” 

According to the additional district government counsel also quoted in the report:  “Police had submitted a provisional charge sheet in connection with the anti-CAA protests in the court. They had sought permission from the state for prosecution under section 295-A and 153-A. The court considers the above two sections only when the government gives its nod. Most of the accused are out on bail. ” 

Massive protests and clashes were reported from the district on December 20, 2019, stated a news report, adding that areas such as Bijnor, Nahtaur, Jalalabad, Nagina, Chandpur, Najibabad and Sherkot had been affected. It was alleged that anti-CAA protesters burnt vehicles and vandalized shops. Two persons were also reported killed in Nahtaur town. According to the local administration damages to public properties were estimated to be worth around Rs 21.7lakh. 

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Over 18 thousand people were granted Indian citizenship in the last five years including the large number of people who came from Bangladesh in 2015, said the Ministry of Home Affairs on September 20.

Member of Parliament M. Badruddin Ajmal asked about the number of Indian Citizenship granted in the last five years. He also asked the Union Minister to explain the current conditions and formalities for non-Indian to get Indian citizenship.

Regarding the conditions for citizenship, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said, “The citizenship of India can be acquired by birth or descent or registration or naturalisation or incorporation of territory. Acquisition of Indian Citizenship is governed by the provisions under the Citizenship Act, 1955 and rules made thereunder.”

However, he made no mention of the Citizenship Amendment Act of 2019 that had raised widespread protests all over India last year. Under the Amendment, illegal migrants were given citizenship on the basis of religion. While this change had received heavy criticism, it is interesting to note that the Centre does not maintain a religion-wise account of citizenship grants. This raises the question of how the government came to finalise the clauses for the recent amendment.

As per government records, as many as 18,855 people received Indian citizenship in the last five years. Last year, 939 people gained citizenship in India. As many as 809 people came from Pakistan in 2019. The data also shows that the highest number of people to receive Indian citizenship are from Bangladesh followed by Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka and the USA.

Nearly 21 people came from countries like Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Israel.

AU1435 

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Lawyer DS Bindra’s caller tune is “waheguru’, the chant he says gives him strength to do whatever he does. These are the toughest times for the lawyer who had spent most of Delhi’s freezing winter months cooking, and feeding hundreds who gathered at Shaheen Bagh during the historic  anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests. He had not found it tough and remembered that things just fell into place for his free kitchen service since the day he started. “It started when the Sikh farmers group that had come from Punjab to support the sisters at Shaheen Bagh asked me to send the food grains they had brought along to a gurdwara, when they were returning home.” Bindra thought it was best to ask if the langar could possibly  be cooked at the well equipped and well manned Gurudwara kitchens and brought back to Shaheen Bagh to feed the hungry protesters who sat there 24 hours. To his shock no one was willing to collaborate with him. “I will never name them, but once some people heard the food was meant to go to Shaheen Bagh they objected,” recalls a disappointed Bindra. Perhaps the people who wanted to stay away were merely doing so in self preservation, or to avoid controversy, or the wrath of the authorities. 

None of these mattered to Bindra who then set up an open kitchen near the Shaheen Bagh protest site, hired vessels and cooks from a wedding caterer and began cooking, and serving fresh vegetarian meals to whoever wanted a plate. Soon the system fell into place, people began volunteering however they could. Some would serve, some would help get water, some others would donate grains or vegetables. “I thought the protest would end soon, but it went on for a long time. And so did the langar I was preparing,” the devout Sikh who has volunteered for langa seva for years, remembers the camaraderie at Shaheen Bagh, “we served whoever wanted a meal. That is it. This seva was not of my own doing, it was the divine one, my Guru who showed me the way. I was just there at that moment and place.”  The protest was called off in greater public interest as Covid-19 began to create havoc and the national lockdown was strictly implemented, banning all gatherings. Bindra’s langar seva kitchen too closed down. 

“After that I did not go there, or anywhere else,” says Bindra, who got the biggest shock of his life when he was slapped with a notice by the Delhi Police special cell. “Is setting up a langar, and feeding the hungry a crime? Is helping people a crime?” asked Bindra, who is now undergoing one of his biggest challenges yet. 

Bindra reportedly sold his flat to fund his campaign to feed the hungry protesters. He also organised langar at the Chand Bagh sit-in protest site in Mustafabad and also in Khureji for around five days, helping feed hundreds of protesters. Now, his name has been added to the list mentioned in a chargesheet filed by the Delhi Police in the matter of the killing head constable Ratan Lal. 

As reported by SabrangIndia then, some of the accused named in the chargesheet have mentioned DS Bindra as one of the organisers of the sit-in protest at Chand Bagh, and that he ordered that tents be set up at the site and langar be cooked and served. The accused also stated that at an allegedly secret meeting with other organisers, Bindra spoke about the CAA as being anti-minorities and that the Sikh community was here to support them so that the barbarism of 1984 was never repeated.

Bindra has not been named as one of the accused, but his presence at the location, and his alleged  role as one organisers of the protest is being stretched to suggest that Bindra, with his words and actions, may have instigated the riots that took place in the area later in February, specifically an instance in which head constable Ratan Lal was killed on February 24, 2020. 

The notice is a firm indicator that he is under the Delhi Police scanner. His langars have been set up in full public view and  were covered by the media that was stationed at protest sites.

“It is an indication that democracy is endangered if feeding langar, and standing with the truth is categorised as a crime, and a notice is sent by the police” he said. However, the lawyer says he is not scared and that he draws even more strength from all this. “I had begun my langar seva by mankind and serving tea,” says Bindra who does most of his social work under the banner of ‘Hind Army’ that he co founded. This banner too is under the police scanner. 

“I have been sent a notice under many sections including instigating riots, they said I started a langer to gather a crowd and then provoked them,” he said adding that he had nothing to do with the Chand Bagh protest. “Can there ever be an ulterior motive when serving a langar?  They can slap as many notices against me or even lodge an FIR, I will not be scared, nor will I stop my langar seva wherever needed,” he said, “I will continue to serve the people.”

However, those associated with him say they are worried about their mentor. “He has already been called by the police to come to the Lodhi Colony police station for questioning a few days ago. I think he was there for over seven hours on June 15. The police even came to his office, I was told, but they could not find anything,” said a young man who considers the lawyer a friend he looks up to, “Bindra sir  is always helping people so I do not understand why is the police doing this to him?”

Bindra is seeking legal advice and continues to say his social work will not stop at any cost. He has also found support from many including members of a group named Indians Abroad for Pluralist India (IAPI) who recently held a rally in his support in Canada.

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The Supreme Court has sought responses from the state governments of Assam, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh and Arunachal Pradesh in a plea by Sharjeel Imam for clubbing of 5 FIRs registered against him for offences of hate speech. The states have been given 2 weeks to file their responses.

The bench, led by Justice Ashok Bhushan issued notice to theses states after Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta, who was appearing for Delhi government contended that all states should be heard by the court before passing an order for clubbing the FIRs filed against Imam for speeches delivered in Delhi and Aligarh.

Besides hate speech, Imam has been charged with sedition and certain provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. He was arrested on January 28 and has pleaded the apex court to let a single agency investigate into his case after the clubbing of the FIRs.

Imam who is currently lodged in Guwahati jail had delivered a speech in Aligarh Muslim University on January 16 in which he had said that roads leading to Assam should be “cut off” from the rest of the country as part of the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA).

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Hundreds of protestors from anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) organizations, peasant and student organizations and ethnic groups across Assam to demand the immediate release of jailed peasant leader Akhil Gogoi and other leaders and better medical treatment for them in prison, reported The Wire.

Gogoi has been lodged in Guwahati Central Jail since December 12 after he was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for having a nexus with Maoists, reported The Telegraph India.

“I was very sick for over 10 days but have been recovering slowly since yesterday,” Akhil said while being brought to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for a health check-up after he complained of severe backache, urology problems and other ailments.

It was only after Gogoi’s wife Gitashree Tamuly filed a petition before the NIA court, did it direct the jail authorities to provide “adequate” medical treatment to Gogoi. It also directed the authorities to get him assistance at the GMCH and even asked the NIA to explore the possibility of an in-patient treatment facility for him.

Gogoi himself alleged that the living conditions in jail were pathetic and the health of many inmates was affected by it. He told reporters on his way to GMCH, “Condition of jail is pathetic and several inmates’ health condition deteriorates during their stay. On February 11 one inmate name Karuna Saikia died due to the lack of basic medical facilities in the jail. He was imprisoned for the last 17 years. Moreover, the quality of food is also poor.”

On March 11, 2020, at least 500 people petitioned President Ram Nath Kovind through the Asom Sangrami Mancha (a new socio-political party) demanding Gogoi’s release, reported The Hindu.

The Human Rights Defenders Alert-India (HRDAI) too had lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) citing serious concern over Gogoi’s deteriorating health. Lodged by the Madurai arm of the HRDAI, Henri Tiphagne and Babloo Loitongbam wrote, “Akhil has been long suffering from severe back pain and kidney related issues and was under constant medical observation at the time of his arrest on December 12, 2019. His health condition, in the absence of proper medical care and treatment, significantly deteriorated and is a serious cause of concern.”

The complaint also read, “His legal counsels went to meet him in the jail on March 2, 2020, but were not able to meet him as he was down with high fever and severe stomach pain and was not in a position to get up from the bed. The counsels got this information from other co-accused in the same case and lodged in the same central jail. Following this, his wife also attempted to meet him in the central jail on March 3, 2020 (yesterday), but given the severity of his health condition, he was unable to meet her.”

They had petitioned the NHRC to direct a team of doctors from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to be sent to monitor Gogoi and preferably provide him medical treatment at AIIMS or a hospital outside Assam.

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After allegedly inflicting violence on the people protesting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the Uttar Pradesh police are now resorting to ‘scare tactics’ and warning them of consequences of participating in such further protests.

Door-to-door warnings

According to The Telegraph India, the cops carry lists of alleged anti-CAA protestors and their addresses, questioning locals of their whereabouts, houses, size of families, who and where they are and their age and profession. Speaking to the publication, a senior police officer said that the scare campaign was meant to “make the people aware the police might act against them if they don’t stop the protests.”

The women, who have been staging a sit-in have also complained about the police barging into their homes and asking for information on their husbands and children and bullying them into ending the protests. A woman resident of the Kotwali area who was reportedly questioned by a dozen policemen said, “The policemen intimidate us by unnecessarily knocking at our doors. They came to my house on Thursday afternoon and asked the names of my husband and father-in-law. They alleged that my husband had been involved in anti-CAA violence in December and February. My husband supplies food to the Shah Jama Idgah (site of the largest dharna in Aligarh) but never participated in any protest.” She also added that the police had asked for the names of her two children and “jotted them down on the register”.

However, this latest drive from the police comes after they promised not to harass protesters or their families without any evidence of their direct involvement in the violence. In a bid to vacate the Quarsi Road Bypass in Aligarh City on March 1, the circle officer Anil Samania had declared, “No action will be taken against the protesters without a proper enquiry.”

But now, the Additional City Magistrate, Aligarh, Ranjeet Singh has claimed that the campaign was undertaken to reassure the women who have complained that they are threatened and forced to join the dharnas.

He said, “Many women had complained that criminals were forcing them to participate in the protests. So we started the door-to-door campaign to interact with households and prevent any unpleasant situation. (During the visits) some women said their husbands too were forcing them against their wishes to join the dharna.” He added, “We are collecting the names of the provocateurs and will summon them to police stations and warn them. We have served notices to 250 people and are identifying more.”

However, debunking the claim of the Additional City Magistrate, a senior police officer in Lucknow said that the force was merely doing “community policing to keep people away from the anti-CAA protests”, adding that it was a “preemptive measure to prevent the protesters from occupying any new place in the city”. “We are doing this at many places, including Aligarh, Allahabad and Sambhal,” he said.

Public shaming

Not only has the government gone door-to-door to warn the protesters to not participate in anti-CAA agitations, but it has also put up posters and hoardings throughout the state capital of Lucknow of alleged anti-CAA protestors; around 57 of them, with their names, addresses and photographs accusing them to be a part of the violence during the protests. The content of the hoardings show that these allege protesters have been asked to pay compensation for damage to public property that took place during the violence at the protest last year in December. The hoardings also say that if these people fail to pay up, their properties will be confiscated. The total amount of damage to property listed in the hoardings is up to Rs. 1.55 crore.

While legal experts say that the move of the government is illegal because property can only be confiscated after a criminal trial, the activists whose names and addresses have been put up all across town now fear for the safety of themselves and their families. Speaking with News Click, Robin Sharma of the Rihai Manch whose name appeared on the hoardings said, “The matter is still in the court. This is strange. What if my house is attacked by anti-social elements? If anything like that happens then Lucknow police and administration will be fully responsible for it.”

Social activist Deepak Kabir too in a video statement said, “We were arrested, assaulted, sent to jail and then given bail. I got a recovery notice in jail and later they sent me a recovery order. You (the government) know our addresses, we have the notice. Then why this? Is this to create fear? This is nothing but a new tactic to create pressure on us.”

Sadaf Jafar, the only woman who appears on the hoardings and who had spoken of the brutal ill-treatment by the prison authorities when they had taken her into custody said, “This has made us more vulnerable now. Making our addresses public may invite a mob and this is not at all justified. I feel scared now. This step was not at all required since the matter is in court, and we all have been appearing in the courts when asked to.”

Former IPS officer SR Darapuri also said that the government was trying to name and shame them and inviting a mob to lynch them. Speaking to News Click he said, “If they (the state government) are gearing up to confiscate anyone’s property, then they have to send them a notice, but they did not do so. When this case is already challenged in SC and the High Court has put stay on it, how can the government do this to us?”

The violence in Uttar Pradesh claimed 21 lives, more than 1,100 people were arrested and 5,558 people were kept in preventive detention. UP CM Yogi Adityanath had earlier said in December that the state government would take revenge against those involved in the violence and auction off the properties of those accused to compensate for the losses.

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