My Mulaqat with Umar Khalid

Umar Khalid was arrested under the UAPA for his alleged role in the 'Delhi pogrom'. He has been languishing in Tihar Jail for more than three years

- Apeksha Priyadarshini

 

I started visiting Umar Khalid—a former JNU student leader who was arrested on alleged charges of ‘conspiracy’ in the 2020 Delhi pogrom case—in Tihar Jail about one and a half years ago. When his arrest took place in September 2020, the entire country was reeling from the consequences of the nationwide lockdown that had been in effect due to the Covid pandemic. It took a long time for physical visits to begin in prison and when they did, there was a tedious protocol in place to determine who can visit the prisoner. There are not only restrictions in terms of the number of people who are allowed visitations, but also the frequency at which a prisoner can have the privilege of having visitors.

The process of actually visiting is a tedious one. One has to make a booking for the visit well in advance. Once you are there on the allotted date, you must surrender everything you have, except your ID and things that you are allowed to take for the prisoner—very basic amenities like money, which must be deposited separately at a counter inside into the prisoner’s account; a limited number of clothes or a blanket; and, legal documents, if any. As you enter the gates, the prison security takes its time to scan every article that you are carrying to give to the prisoner. The prison staff patiently dissects everything— strings are pulled out of pyjamas; sharp tags or decorative elements are slashed off from clothing with a blade; and, there are even specific colours that you aren’t allowed to take inside! During winters, the prison personnel carefully cut open the