Concerns surrounding the prolonged imprisonment of political activists, their treatment in jails, a lack of medical attention, and the deteriorating conditions of Indian prisons in the ongoing pandemic were raised in ‘Prisoners in a Pandemic: Viral hate and a raging contagion’ on May 11. Organised by a people’s campaign platform ‘Karwan e Mohabbat’ (Caravan of Love), the online talk was held in memory Mahavir Narwal, the father of jailed activist Natasha Narwal, and in solidarity with “those wrongly incarcerated by this heartless government”. Lawyers, activists, and the kin of political prisoners were in attendance.
 
Mahavir Narwal passed away due to Covid-19 in Rohtak, Haryana on May 9. His daughter Natasha Narwal, an activist from the women’s rights group Pinjra Tod and a student of the Jawaharlal Nehru University, has been in prison since being booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act last May, for her alleged part in inciting the widespread communal violence in Northeast Delhi in February, 2020. Though Natasha had filed for interim bail to visit her father due to his ill health on May 7 this year, she was granted a three-week bail only on May 10, a day after his death. The court stated that her release is imperative in this hour of her grief and personal loss.
 
This incident has brought to light various issues about how political prisoners are treated in the country. The Karwan e Mohabbat discussion, aired on the United Against Hate Facebook page, tried to address it through a panel including human rights lawyer Mihir Desai, Dr SQR Ilyas, father of activist Umar Khalid, professor Apoorva Anand, and author-activist Harsh Mander. The kin of political prisoners who have been in jail and not received timely medical attention for their sicknesses amid the pandemic -- Raihanath Kappan, wife of jailed journalist Siddiq Kappan, Jenny Rowena, wife of Delhi University professor Hany Babu, Kaladas Dahariya, an associate of Sudha Bhardwaj, and Nargis Saifi, wife of Khalid Saifi —  also participated . In a more recent development, Instagram blocked a video by Karwan e Mohabbat about Mahavir Narwal, stating that ‘content is owned by the Bangladeshi channel, Rtv’, when the campaigners have said it does not.

It is unbelievable that when so many are mourning the tragic death of #MahavirNarwal, whose daughter #NatashaNarwal has been falsely accused under UAPA ... @instagram would take such a misguided, heartless step https://t.co/WrWnSVt5hK