Umar Khalid: Indian Activist Speaks from Prison After Six Years Without Trial

Umar Khalid, a prominent Indian activist and former Jawaharlal Nehru University student, has given his first interview since his arrest in 2020. Detained under the Modi government, he is held in Delhi's Tihar Jail, one of India's most notorious prisons. In the interview with The Guardian (republished by Der Freitag), Khalid describes the psychological toll of incarceration, particularly the dread that sets in at sunset when thousands of inmates are herded into the prison yard. He draws a parallel to Fyodor Dostoevsky's prison memoirs, noting that the 19th-century Russian writer described the same sunset anxiety. Khalid has been imprisoned for over six years without a conviction, facing charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) related to alleged involvement in the 2020 Delhi riots. His case has drawn international attention, with figures like New York State Assemblymember Zohran Mamdani expressing solidarity. The interview highlights Khalid's resilience and his fight against despair, as he asserts, 'I am free, even in captivity.'