Living in the Time of Gulfisha Fatima

Living in the Time of Gulfisha Fatima

On the anniversary of her incarceration, we consider the value of the jailed student leader’s poems.

Activist Gulfisha Fatima Jailed For 5 Years, Bail Plea Pending For 3 Years

Despite several Supreme Court directives urging courts to expedite bail proceedings, activist Gulfisha Fatima’s bail plea in the so-called larger conspiracy case of the Delhi riots has been pending for close to three years and she has been jailed for five years without trial. This means that Fatima has spent more time in jail, with her bail pending before the Delhi High Court, a constitutional court. Her plea has been heard twice before two diff…

“Par yaad rehti bas tareekh”: Five years of Gul’s un-freedom

Five years ago, a young woman from North-East Delhi was imprisoned—not for a crime, but for her courage. Gulfisha Fatima, or “Gul” as many affectionately call her, was one of the many voices that rose against the discriminatory CAA-NRC-NPR regime. For this, she was booked under the draconian Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. On April 9, 2020, she was arrested. Five years have passed since that day, and Gulfisha is still incarcer…

“Par yaad rehti bas tareekh”- Gulfisha Fatima : A Saga of Arrest and Re-arrest – Free Speech Collective

A moving poem by student activist Gulfisha Fatima is the

Fought discriminatory citizenship law, Gulfisha Fatima marks five years in jail

It has been five years since Gulfisha Fatima was imprisoned in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. Photo: Shaheen Abdulla/Maktoob It has been five years since Gulfisha Fatima was imprisoned in Delhi’s Tihar Jail. Today, 9 April 2025, marks the grim anniversary of her arrest. A young, vibrant woman who was imprisoned in her early to mid-20s has now turned 31—spending all these years behind bars after being targeted by the Hindu nationalist BJP government for her…