“He told me he will be home before Ramadan,” said Nargis Saifi, wife of jailed human rights activist Khalid Saifi jailed under India’s terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
“This is his favourite time of the year”
Her words made half of the room emotional as many among them were kin of prisoners who are incarcerated for the same case that implicated Muslim student leaders and activists responsible for the conspiracy that orchestrated violence in Delhi’s Northeast region in February 2020.
“It’s been three years. His bail plea has been reserved for months,” she lamented at the iftar meet hosted by the Students Islamic Organisation of India for families of “political prisoners” on Thursday.
Kins of several Muslim activists attended the gathering and had an opportunity to share their situation.
Speaking at the event, the parents of Gulfisha Fatima, a jailed activist from Northeast Delhi under UAPA, said their daughter has not been keeping well in prison.
Tasneef Hussain, Fatima’s father stressed that his daughter is innocent.
“Don’t we all have a duty to stand up against the wrongdoing? She is a brave girl. We are proud of her,” he told Maktoob.
Sister of Jamia Millia Islamia student leader Meeran Haider shared her worry about their ailing father.
“The phone may not work at times and even the server will be down for video calls. Nobody seems to notice it.”
Activist Athar Khan’s mother Noor Jahan said, “My son was studying BBA when he was arrested. Three cases were registered against my son, including one under UAPA. He got bail in the other two cases around one-and-a-half years ago but the UAPA case is still pending.”
Most of the family members said the bail plea in their kin’s cases was reserved for months but no one is taking the responsibility to fast-track it. Speakers also stressed the mental toll the case has put on the prisoners and their families.
“UAPA is there and that means it’s hard to get bail,” said Saima, daughter of Mohammad Saleem Malik who is also booked under UAPA under FIR 59/20.
“It hampered our family. My brother had to drop out of college to support our family. I did three jobs at a time to help meet our needs,” Saima, a BDS graduate, told Maktoob.
Representing the legal aid group, Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), Nadeem Khan claimed he had coordinated with many of the people who were arrested under UAPA in conspiracy cases and it was the moral obligation of civil society to speak up for them.
“Civil society needs to address the situation of Muslim activists languishing in jail. Meeran was the state president of the youth wing of RJD. But how often do they remember him or voice for him?” Khan said.
Addressing the gathering, Ramees EK, president of SIO assured their support for the jailed activists and addressed them as “leaders”.
“They are our leaders when they were part of the protest and they remain our leaders even when they are behind bars,” Ramees said.
