Is providing food and water a crime?
Credit: Foej
Alleged paper leaks, Re-NEET, and student suicides led to a month-long protest at Jantar Mantar. During the protest people faced scorching heat and a lack of drinking water, and volunteers catered for their needs, including Mohammad Junaid, a volunteer who distributed food and water to the demonstrators at the Jantar Mantar protest site.
On 24th July, speaking to Lallantop, Junaid alleged that the U.P Police had raided his home in Ghaziabad and detained members of his family, taking his father and minor brother into custody. He also alleged that his sister’s father-in-law and brother-in-law in Meerut were detained and that passbooks and Aadhaar cards belonging to his parents were confiscated. The police also informed the family that the detained members would only be released if Junaid is brought to the police station. Junaid further alleged that he was picked up by the Delhi police, kept blindfolded in a vehicle for hours and questioned before being dropped far from the city. Meerut Police denied the detention, while senior police officials in Ghaziabad or the U.P police gave no clear response. The CJP has assured its support to Junaid over alleged police action. On 25th July, Junaid posted that he and his family were safe.
What then was Junaid being targeted for? Supplying food and water to the protesters at the site. This makes us redefine dissent and protest. When a government perceives dissent and protest as anti-national, true democracy begins to dissipate. The right to protest and demonstrate is a fundamental right, as the S.C affirmed in the case of Mazdoor Kisan Shakthi Sangathan Vs Union of India.
Among the thousands who volunteered, only one, Junaid, was named; his family was detained to force his surrender, and stripped of his dignity, a targeting that did not stop with him. Days after his family was raided, five Muslim students returning from the same protest were also picked up by the police without explanation. This reflects the U.P government’s conduct under the BJP, which disproportionately targets Muslims, even punishing them for mere humanitarian gestures like offering food and water.
