Today marks five years since Gulfisha Fatima, a Delhi University graduate and anti-CAA activist, was imprisoned in Delhi’s Tihar Jail under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). Arrested in April 2020 at the age of 26, she now turns 31, having spent half a decade behind bars for her vocal opposition to the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act.
Gulfisha, also known for teaching women and children at Shaheen Bagh and for her poetic expressions, has been accused of conspiring in the February 2020 Northeast Delhi violence—a claim widely dismissed by human rights groups as baseless and politically motivated.
Safoora Zargar, a fellow activist and friend who was also arrested during the anti-CAA protests, recalls her first meeting with Gulfisha during police custody. “She comforted me with a banana when we barely knew each other. That moment binds us for life,” she told Maktoob. Zargar said she continues to carry memories of Gulfisha’s resilience and warmth.
Despite her incarceration, Gulfisha remains a source of strength for her friends. “She celebrates her arrest anniversary every year with a smile,” Zargar said, noting how Gulfisha’s optimism defies the grim reality of her situation. “She asks for nothing but books.”
Writer and teacher Nabiya Khan echoed the emotional weight of Gulfisha’s imprisonment. “She is just my age. Her smile in court is brave, but the pain her family endures is heartbreaking,” she said. “This is such a critical time in life—building a career, pursuing dreams—and she’s lost five years to an unjust system.”
Khan highlighted the broader pattern of suppression under the current regime. “From Gulfisha to the imams being arrested in Sambhal, this is a concerted effort to silence Muslim voices,” she said.
Gulfisha’s father, Tasneef Hussain, had earlier expressed pride in his daughter’s courage. “She’s brave. We believe in her and in justice.”
Yet, justice remains elusive. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, representing Gulfisha, pointed out the gross delays in her trial, with hearings repeatedly adjourned or not taken up. “What is the point of keeping someone in jail for four years and seven months without a trial?” he asked the court. “She’s a 31-year-old woman, and the trial hasn’t even started.”
The February 2020 Delhi violence, which claimed 53 lives—mostly Muslims—and destroyed countless homes and shops, was triggered by hate speech from BJP leaders, including Kapil Mishra. Yet, it was the youth who protested the CAA that were jailed.
International human rights bodies, UN experts, and opposition parties have condemned these arrests as part of a systematic crackdown on dissent, warning that such actions send a chilling message: speaking out against government policies can cost one their freedom.
As her friends and supporters continue to fight for her release, Gulfisha Fatima remains a powerful symbol of resistance, reminding the nation of the price paid by those who dare to dissent.
