India Tomorrow
NEW DELHI—Noted journalist Ravish Kumar has appealed that former JNU researcher Umar Khalid, who is imprisoned for 1000 days, must not be forgotten and he should be remembered for the injustices of the state.
Ravish was speaking at Press Club India here on Friday in a programme called ‘Democracy, Dissent and Censorship’ on Umar Khalid’s 1000 days in jail in connection with the Delhi riots conspiracy case. Sharjeel Imam, Khalid Saifi and Gulfishan Fatima are among many others also in jail in the same case for even longer periods.
The programme was initially scheduled to be held at Gandhi Peace Foundation. But the Foundation cancelled the booking at the last minute and the programme was shifted to the press club.
Ravish said that space for such a programme had shrunk in Delhi. “But it is good that we have places like Press Club of India where people can raise their voices,” he said.
Stating that Umar Khalid was in jail for 1000 days, he said, “We read the statements of judges that bail is a rule and jail is the exception but it was not applied with Umar Khalid.”
He made a point that there was a deliberate attempt that Umar Khalid’s fight is made invisible.
Ravish added, “But people raising voices for him proved that he is not alone. His struggle inside the jail is his but outside, his torture is being felt.”
He pointed out that the state’s policy to use violence during the last nine years has changed. “Now the state uses its party, ‘Godi’ media and IT cell to indulge in mental violence. The state brings you a bad name and the organized vilification started with Umar Khalid”, said the Magsaysay award-winning journalist.
Ravish said that when Umar went to TV channels unknowingly, he hoped that he would get a chance to put his stand there. “But by then the TV channels had changed their stand for many years to come. Godi media, political party and IT cell painted the Ph.D. student Umar Khalid as an anti-national. He was weakened in the eyes of the society. He was a student like you and us who was not aware of the system that has gathered all the arms to attack,” he pointed out.
He stated that the second change in state violence was also to be seen by all of us. He elaborated, “Earlier, the state used to do violence in the garb of sections of law but now it is making laws to use violence, so that, it could indulge in it brazenly. We all are witnessing this change and it is not only Umar Khalid but Soma Sen is also there in the Bhima Koregaon case who is under trial for five years.”
Discussing bail and jail rules, he said, “When I listened to the high-level judges about undertrial and bail, I realize probably these few cases are not known to them or they, too, have stopped following these cases for their comfort. It seems that they have decided to talk about all the cases barring these ones.”
He continued, “The Supreme Court has made observations regarding bail, and these cases are known to all. We can only hope that the conscience of the judicial system may awake one day and realize that the hand of law is not long but it is coloured. The judicial system would see this and realize what is going on.”
Ravish Kumar said, “We have also witnessed that the case of Umar Khalid is pushed back and sidelined from the media space bit by bit to fasten the process of forgetting. I always think that people who used to raise their voices got tired of that or become part of the process which has decided that when someone is jailed under severe charges, he/she will have to be forgotten. This process wants that such persons are left in the lurch.”
He said that in the pictures of Umar Khalid that came in still or video, he saw a smiling boy. But that smile, he added, made him sad. He added, “That smile tells that you might be living a normal life. One can live a life of light and music but the responsibility of remembering such persons was not fulfilled. The subject of Umar Khalid became such an issue upon which writing or speaking was akin to taking on the state.”
Ravish noted that the state was imposing many censors, still, people were standing there with their cameras in their hands. He declared that it was a big deal.
Ravish discussed the Delhi riots report of Betwa Sharma. He said, “Betwa has highlighted the discrepancies in the Delhi police’s pleas in the court. We all should read the report and learn journalism. To state the fact in the report, Betwa and the team went through hundreds of pages. Also, the advocates of Umar Khalid must have gone through hundreds of pages of law books to take him to the door of justice. But it seems that door to justice has been made distant, maybe, for Umar Khalid or Soma Sen particularly. It was permanently shut for Stan Swamy who died struggling.”
He emphasized that remembering Umar was remembering all those who are put behind the bars, like those in the case of Bhima Koregaon. He expressed disappointment that Rona Wilson and Soma Sen are not remembered. He added, “By remembering Umar Khalid, we will remember Wilson and Soma.”
Ravish said, “This meeting of the Press Club reassures that no doubt the state has a great might but you too have no less resolve. As you are here to remember Umar Khalid, you ensured that his 1000 days of incarceration did not go unnoticed. We will register the injustices wherever they take place. We will raise our voice for them as we can only do this hoping that one day someone’s conscience will awake, as it does wake up.”
He said that there are good people in Delhi police who will realize the injustices being handed down from them. “They will get a sleepless night when they will face a period of injustice. They too are human beings; they would recall the injustices done by them.”
Ravish reiterated, “The voice of concern by the judges sounds hollow to me as Umar Khalid is picked up selectively for not granting bail and justice. Those judges seem to be talking about bail for the sake of talking, otherwise, they could reflect that in their verdicts.”
Coming down heavily on media, Ravish said, “Anchors of Godi media spread hateful mentality, but no action is taken against them. With the perception created by such Godi media, one person is declared as an anti-national and then the state and judicial system become so cruel to him and show no mercy.”
Referring to a recent incident of damage caused to the idols in Bulandshahar, he said that the anchors preempt the community of the culprits. He added, “They don’t report now, they imagine. Similarly, they imagined about Umar Khalid and put that as the truth. Thanks to the Bulandshahar police that they investigated the matter and arrested the culprits. As the religion of the culprits was not that of the imagination of the anchor, it was hushed up. Otherwise, that could have been blown into a big issue.”
He declared that Umar Khalid was a target of a big conspiracy under which the system tested its first case to see if an innocent student thus identified can be jailed declaring him anti-national as a threat to the nation. He added, “And this experiment seems to be successful, in Umar Khalid or Bhima Koregaon case.”
He claimed that the government had stopped caring for public sentiments. He said, “Nothing changed for it even after the death of Stan Swamy. Nothing affects this government, that is the identity of this government. Nothing happens to those TV anchors who spread hatred day in and day out. But a student is sent to jail in a rioting case.”
He emphasized, “We have to identify this difference, that some people have got the freedom to spread hatred, to raise slogans like ‘Goli Maro….’ But who appealed for peace is shunted down in jail.
He concluded, “These 1000 days in jail are not only that of Umar Khalid but a very sad and distressing thing for India’s civil society and judicial system.”
