World-renowned linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky and Mahatma Gandhi’s grandson, Rajmohan Gandhi, have condemned the “unjust” incarceration of scholar and Muslim student activist Umar Khalid.
Hindus for Human Rights, Indian American Muslim Council, Dalit Solidarity Forum, and India Civil Watch International have called for the immediate release of Khalid who was arrested on September 14, 2020, over what Delhi Police has claimed are his connections to the northeast Delhi communal violence of that year. Police has attempted to connect his role in leading protests in late 2019 and early 2020 against the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act to the violence.
Khalid’s case, Chomsky said in his recorded statement, “is one of many that shed a grim light on India’s system of justice during a period of repression, and often violence, that has been visibly undermining free institutions and the free practice of the rights of citizenship, part of the large-scale governmental effort to dismantle India’s honourable tradition of secular democracy and to impose a Hindu ethnocracy.”
Prof. Gandhi highlighted Khalid’s scholarly contributions as a doctoral student at JNU, stating that “in [Khalid], India possesses one of its finest minds, reinforced by a sensitive conscience…this brilliant young son of India has now been silenced for 20 continuous months.”
He said as concluding remarks: “We can all only hope that the courageous defense of freedom of justice on the part of many young activists will succeed in reversing this tragic course, and pave the way for India’s return to leadership in the search for a better world, one that honors peace and justice, drawing from India’s rich and impressive tradition.”
Prof. Gandhi highlighted Khalid’s scholarly contributions as a doctoral student at JNU, stating that “in [Khalid], India possesses one of its finest minds, reinforced by a sensitive conscience…this brilliant young son of India has now been silenced for 20 continuous months.”
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