Umar Khalid, an Indian activist held without trial for six years, gave an exclusive interview to The Guardian, describing his life in prison and his opposition to the government of Narendra Modi. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Prison is hardest at sunset. Thousands of inmates in Delhi's most infamous jail are forced into the dank yard until darkness falls. Prisoner number 626714, known as Umar Khalid, feels the dread rise. He notes that Dostoevsky described the same feeling over 150 years ago.
Khalid gave his first interview since his arrest in 2020. He denies charges of being a 'key conspirator' in Delhi religious riots and conspiring to bring about 'violent regime change'. He calls his case 'dystopian' and politically motivated.
Khalid is a critic of Modi's government and the Hindu nationalist agenda of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He accuses the government of persecuting 200 million Muslims. The BJP denies all allegations.
International human rights groups have condemned Khalid's nearly six years in jail without trial as unjust. New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani sent him a solidarity letter, prompting an angry response from the Indian government.
Khalid, 38, says he has been dehumanized by propaganda: 'I am reduced to an image. Humanity is a privilege not granted to people like me.'
He grew up in the Muslim-majority neighborhood of Jamia Nagar. Khalid was a student activist at JNU. In 2016, he was arrested for sedition after participating in a political event. He says the university tried to block his PhD thesis.
Khalid says India is becoming a 'post-truth society'. He insists he cannot remain silent and will continue his opposition to Modi's government.