Delhi high court gives us a lot of hope, says student activist Natasha Narwal

NEW DELHI: Student activists Devangana Kalita and Natasha Narwal were released from Tihar Jail on bail around 7.15pm on Thursday.
Kalita, wearing a traditional Assamese skirt, emerged from Gate No 3, with Narwal in a blue kurta following behind. Both smiled brightly when met outside the prison by a crowd that heartily raised slogans like ‘Saare pinjron ko todenge, itihaas ki dhaara modenge’.

Ten minutes later, the third student held in the northeast Delhi riots case, Asif Iqbal Tanha, was also released from Tihar Jail.
Kalita and Narwal were lodged together in women’s jail No 6. “We survived one year in jail because of the support we received from so many people,” said Pinjra Tod activist Kalita to the media. “Maybe the women who came out on the streets during the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act prayed for us and that is why we are out of jail today.”
Kalita claimed not to have read the bail order “but our family and friends have said it is a fantastic order and we would like to thank Delhi High Court”. She went on, “It is really important for courts to come out with such orders because people like us and many others are languishing in jail only for protesting against this government, which is the very basis of democracy.”
Addressing the media, Narwal said she realised their release had been challenged in the Supreme Court, but “the kind of order that came from Delhi High Court really gives us a lot of hope and strength and restores our faith in the Indian judiciary”. She said, “We now know the judiciary will stand up for the rights of the people and uphold democratic dissent.”
She also spoke of her father, Mahavir Narwal, and how he succumbed to Covid-19 while she was in jail. “My heart goes out to everyone else who has lost dear ones to the coronavirus,” she said.
Pinjra Tod welcomed Kalita and Narwal “with great love, joy, solidarity and tears” and “with tight hugs and tears of happiness”. A statement released by the students’ collective said, “It has been over a year of their wrongful incarceration under the extraordinary Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and their release tonight is a day of tremendous strength and support.” Pinjra Tod noted that the activists’ release came two days after they were granted bail by Delhi High Court and only upon the issuing of the release warrant by the Karkardooma district court at 11am on Thursday.
“Even as we welcome their bail order and see them walk out free today, we remind ourselves that the struggle is far from over. We remember the countless others who continue to be incarcerated and reiterate our demand for the release of all political prisoners,” the statement said, adding that Pinjra Tod was hopeful of the Supreme Court upholding the Delhi High Court bail order when hearing the special leave petition filed by Delhi Police.
The third student released, Tanha, in a media statement, said, “I am grateful to almighty Allah and thank all supporters, my lawyers and all people fighting for the freedom of others. I hope that all political prisoners, everyone who is imprisoned due to their ideology or identity, are released soon.”
Tanha’s statement said, “Our fight is against the discriminatory Citizenship (Amendment) Act and not against people of any faith. I am glad that the honourable high court has asserted that our peaceful and democratic protests had nothing to do with the riots. I hope that this judgment serves as an important precedent. We have full faith in the fairness of the judiciary.”