Umar Khalid completed two long years in prison after being arrested in the month of September of 2020, this is what his mother has to say.
What does a mother’s heart say when her child is taken away from her by the State? How many tears does a mother shed when her child is being punished for the deeds he never committed? Finally, what does a mother have to say when her child has been arrested for demanding a change for the betterment of the country?
Umar Khalid completed two long years in prison after being arrested in the month of September of 2020. Khalid was arrested under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged role in the northeast Delhi riots, during the visit of then US President Donald Trump’s visit to India.
Sabiha Khanum, Umar’s mother, shared her optimism and said, “Imagine Living Behind a Lock and Someone Else Has the Key”. Sahiba spoke at an event, organized to show support for Umar Khalid, held at the Press Club of India in New Delhi on September 13th.
Khanum gave a speech that could make anyone emotional as she spoke about her personal conversations with her son on a weekly basis.
“You can imagine for yourselves how claustrophobic it must be; the kind of fear one must feel at the beginning (of his incarceration), and even now.”
Adding to it, Khunam said that her son was dealing with this challenge with great courage and has never stopped hoping for his freedom.
Umar Khalid’s Crime:
The public has always known how and why Umar Khalid was arrested and the events taking place after it. Being arrested on the grounds of conspiring in organizing violence in Delhi which left 53 dead and around 200 injuries.
During late July of 2022, Umar Khalid was questioned about a WhatsApp group that he was a part of. The group was questioned for premeditated conspiracy; to which Khali’s counsel asked, “Is it illegal to be a member of a WhatsApp group unless you commit any illegality?”
Umar Khalid’s trial had not taken place for a year. He has been in prison with no bail and there has been substantial evidence against him as of yet.
This is not the first time Umar Khalid has been accused or booked for inciting violence by making use of provocative speech. Khalid was said to be a part of the Bhima Koregaon case of 2018 by sparking enmity between the two groups involved.
In 2018, Umar Khalid had nearly been assassinated.
Umar Khalid has had many well-wishers, including Justice of courts, advocates, JNU students, and others. Yet there has been a delay in the in-depth understanding of his participation in the violence.
Political prisoners and their time in jail has not been a light matter for the citizens of India. Many have taken it to the streets to protest. But the numbers of political prisoners and people booked under UAPA remain high.
Recently, Siddique Kappan was granted bail in early September. Also, booked under UAPA, Kappan was arrested on his way to report on the Hathras gang rape where a Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped by four men belonging to the upper caste.
UAPA Statistics by MHA:
- So far, 4690 people have been arrested under the UAPA between 2018 and 2020
- 53% of them were between the age of 18 and 30
- 13 were below the age of 18
- 10 above the age of 60
- 361 arrests were from Uttar Pradesh
- 346 arrests were from Jammu & Kashmir
- 225 arrests were from Manipur
These were the numbers stated in a Rajya Sabha session on August 3rd, 2022.
It has been observed by many that UAPA is being used by the State against anyone who dare critiquing the government. It is indeed a silencer, weaponized by the State. UAPA is always the first defense tactic that the State opts for when someone questions the authority.
Umar Khalid fought for eight months to secure his bail but still, he remains behind bars.
Besides Khalid, activist Khalid Saifi, JNU students Natasha Narwal and Devangana Kalita, Jamia Coordination Committee members Safoora Zargar, former AAP councilor Tahir Hussain and several others have also been booked under the stringent law in the case.
Even today we consider Bhagat Singh as a revolutionary. Bhagat Singh went against British rule and sacrificed his life along with Rajguru and Sukhdev. They all could be booked under UAPA. Would they also struggle to get bail? Would their mothers also await their sons’ freedom?
Sabiha Khunam, Umar Khalid’s mother, speech has made the people realize what the family members, loved ones of a person who has been arrested for wanting a positive change in the country, go through.
