The witch-hunting of Muslim students and scholars during Anti-CAA protests had started before the imposition of the lockdown starting with JNU student Sharjeel Imam. Sharjeel Imam (32) had gained much attention for being a vocal critic of the CAA and for being an initial organiser of the Shaheen Bagh protests.
On one of the spray-painted walls of Jamia Millia Islamia, there is a quote that reads, “This is not the story of CAA, this is a story of long betrayal, some say 6 months, some say 6 years, some say 60 years”.
The bitter story of the Indian State and its relationship with its own Muslim population is undoubtedly an old one. Yet, from the incidents of mob-lynching of 2015 up until now, the BJP-led central government’s staunch anti-Muslim agenda has only staged itself even more evidently in clear daylight, over and over again. While the entire world is battling COVID-19 pandemic, the government remains stubborn to not lose focus in their anti-Muslim agenda. Under the secure shadow and in the name of “pandemic measures”, the government has already done the dirty work of curbing the Anti-CAA protests in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar.
The Delhi Police and paramilitary forces not only cleared the site where Shaheen Bagh and Jamia protests and sit-ins were being held by both men and women (in majority), but detained 6 women and 3 men from the Shaheen Bagh protest site on 24 March, 2020, and also destroyed the artworks, wall paintings and other symbols of dissent the protestors had made in the course of the last few months both in Shaheen Bagh and the university of Jamia Millia Islamia.
The witch-hunting of Muslim students and scholars during Anti-CAA protests had started before the imposition of the lockdown starting with JNU student Sharjeel Imam. Sharjeel Imam (32) had gained much attention for being a vocal critic of the CAA and for being an initial organiser of the Shaheen Bagh protests. He was charged with sedition over a “controversial” speech he delivered in Aligarh Muslim University in the month of January and the police forces in over five states were on the lookout for him. After a political row ensued over the “communal” nature of his speech, the state police of Uttar Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Delhi filed sedition cases against him, finally leading to the arrest of the activist by the Delhi Police’s Crime Branch on January 28th from Bihar’s Jehanabad. Since then he has been lodged in Guwahati jail of Assam.
Dr Kafeel Khan of Gorakhpur was arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force from Mumbai on January 29th in connection with a speech he had delivered during an Anti-CAA protest at AMU on December 12th. Dr Khan was also slapped with charges under the NSA (National Security Act) later in February.
Meeran Haider (35), a PhD student of Jamia Millia Islamia, and president of RJD youth wing’s Delhi unit, was arrested on 3rd April by the special cell of Delhi Police for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to incite communal riots in North East Delhi in February 2020. On 2nd April, he was produced before the metropolitan magistrate Prabhjeet Kaur at her residence. Thereafter, the judge sent Haider to police custody for four days. Meeran Haider’s arrest which took place after the lockdown was condemned by the Jamia Coordination Committee, a group comprising students and alumni from the varsity and demanded his immediate release. “The country is facing a massive health crisis, however, the state machinery is busy harassing and framing student activists in false cases to suppress voices of dissent,” they said. The JCC said Haider was diligently working to provide ration to the needy during the lockdown.
Chingiz Khan, a research scholar from Jawaharlal Nehru University was arrested by Manipur Police on April 10th for writing an article in a local daily that was critical of the government authorities. Khan’s article, titled “Political ploy to push Muslims into marginalisation” was published in a Manipuri Daily, Ichel Express. In his article, Khan points out the discrimination of the state government policies towards the Pangal Muslim community. The police officials claimed that the article was “inciting communal disharmony”. He has now been released on bail.
Safoora Zargar (27), MPhil student of Jamia Milia Islamia, was arrested by the Delhi Police on 11th April in connection with the protests against the CAA in north east Delhi’s Jaffrabad and for her alleged role in the violence that erupted there in February. Zargar is a core member and media coordinator of the Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC), and has been sent to two-day police custody.
On April 15th, Amir Mintoee, student of Aligarh Muslim University was arrested for being an alleged participant in the Anti-CAA protests in AMU. He has said to been forcefully arrested by the U.P police from the J.N.M.C hospital while he was distributing food for the needy.
The witch hunting of Muslim students, scholars and activists continue even in this pandemic struck atmosphere where large parts of the unprivileged population of the country are undergoing major challenges to provide themselves with basic needs for survival. Even in these times, the priority of the BJP-led government remains unchanged.
