Reading of Umar Khalid’s anthology

The editors of the book ‘Umar Khalid and His World’, Anirban Bhattacharya, Banojyotsna Lahiri and Shuddhabrata Sengupta, will read excerpts from the book on April 28 in Bengaluru. The reading will be followed by a discussion with historians Janaki Nair, Ramachandra Guha, and actor-public intellectual Prakash Raj. It will be moderated by Aravind Narrain of PUCL.  

The event is being organised by All Lawyers Association for Justice (ALAJ), People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), and Bahutva Karnataka.

‘Umar Khalid and His World’ is an anthology of writings on and by the Indian activist and political prisoner, who has been incarcerated without a trial for over 2,000 days (about five and a half years). He was arrested on September 13, 2020, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for his alleged involvement in the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots. 

The book documents the political climate of the country through essays, his speeches, letters from jail, and testimonies from his friends. The anthology also throws light on the Prisoner No 626720’s ideas and events that have been the defining moments in his journey since he was imprisoned, underlining the injustices political prisoners face. It has contributions from intellectuals, scholars, journalists, lawyers and human rights activists. 

Umar Khalid and His World on April 28, 6 pm at Bangalore International Centre, Domlur.