Jawaharlal Nehru University research Scholar Chingiz Khan was arrested on sedition charge by the Manipur Police for writing an article critical of the government authorities in a local daily.
Khan, who is pursuing PhD in History at JNU wrote an article titled “Political ploy to push Muslims into marginalization” in a Manipuri Daily, Ichel Express.
Manipur Police detained Khan on Wednesday for questioning, and subsequently, an FIR was filed on Thursday, April 9.
In the article, Khan pointed out the discrimination of the Manipur government policies towards the Pangal Muslim community in the state.
Khan took to the article to criticize the BJP government by citing the eviction of near 500 houses in Khetri Bengoon Awa Ching. The evicted people were left without any kind of rehabilitation.
Khan who is also a columnist at many national and local dailies pointed out ‘the flawed and biased implementation’ of Manipur Conservation of Wetland and Paddy Land Act 2014.
The police officials claimed that the article is “inciting communal disharmony”.
Khan who was produced before a local magistrate in Imphal on Friday after which he was sent to six days police custody, has been charged under sections of the Indian Penal Code 124A/153A505/120B.
On Friday, JNU Students’ Union president Aishe Ghosh demanded the release of Chingiz Khan by tweeting a hashtag #ReleaseChingishKhan
Delhi Association of Manipur Muslim Students, has condemned “this act of assaulting democratic values and the right of an individual”.
The association said in a statement that Khan must be released immediately and unconditionally.
“Vividly, his detention exposes the government’s inability to cope with the ugly truth pointed out about their flawed and reckless implementation of public policies. This is not just an assault to dissenting individuals but to the intellectual world for criticising and exposing the truth,” the statement reads.
“I hereby seek attention of the human rights body, the academic fraternity and the other progressive organizations,” while raising the arrest of Khan on social media, Korimayum Joneyziaur Rahman, General Secretary of North East Student’s Association, Jamia Millia Islamia said.
“One by one they are coming after all the Muslim research scholars and activists,” JNU research scholar Heba Ahmed posted on Facebook.
“Khan is one of the most prolific and widely published students in Delhi and not just JNU, who has written innumerable articles on Muslims in Manipur, has been remanded by Manipur police for writing an article criticizing state discrimination of Muslims,” Heba added.
“This is another attempt to silence Muslim voices,” Aysha Renna, student activist at Jamia Millia Islamia also took to twitter to protest the BJP government’s move and demand the immediate release of JNU research scholar.
