Hundreds join Free Gulfisha Campaign in India, abroad, perform her poems

Counterview Desk

On April 9, Gulfisha Fatima marked five years in prison under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). She was arrested for her involvement in protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). During her time in Tihar Jail, Gulfisha has written poetry that reflects themes of resistance, memory, and defiance.

Her poetry is claimed to have inspired readings, translations, songs, and artwork shared across social media platforms and performed in various cities. Week-long events are said to have amplified her voice and highlighted the importance of solidarity in the face of adversity.

A statement by Free Gulfisha Fatima Campaign:

***

On 9th April this year, Gulfisha Fatima, a young Muslim woman from North East Delhi and a Delhi University graduate had spent 5 long years imprisoned as an undertrial prisoner under the draconian UAPA - jailed on entirely fabricated charges for her role in the peaceful movement for equal citizenship against the CAA-NPR-NRC. From her tiny cell in Tihar Jail No. 6, Gulfisha, lovingly known as Gul, has penned deeply poignant, heart-wrenching poetry - poems that rage, remember, and resist.

In response to the campaign demanding Gulfisha's release, something really special and extraordinary has unfolded over the last few days. Gulfisha's defiant verses have stirred countless hearts sparking a wave of solidarity. Activists, lawyers, students, scholars, journalists, writers, poets, artists, theatre practitioners, actors, film-makers, friends and common citizens - have come together to demand her release. The FreeGulfisha social media accounts are becoming a growing archive of resistance - flooded with impassioned readings of Gul's poems and powerful artwork inspired by her writings. Gul's poems have been read aloud in homes and classrooms, in streets and parks. They are being translated into multiple languages Telugu, Bengali, Punjabi and more. Her poetry is being composed into hauntingly beautiful songs. Poetry reading events were organised in Jaipur, Lucknow, Bhopal, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Delhi, Kolkata, Dharamshala and Churu, even internationally in Birmingham, Amsterdam & Hague - many more are being planned.

What began as a campaign to help Gul's voice break through prison walls has transformed into something profoundly moving and momentous. Her words have not only flown free-they have set us free too. In the wake of brutal state repression and arrests, a paralysing fear and enforced silence had gripped many of us. Gul's tender and resilient verses have helped us confront that fear within to rekindle our courage. It has been heartening to witness the large number of young women across the country and abroad who have come forward to extend support to the campaign. Her poems have not only carried her voice beyond the bars-they have inspired so many others into speech, remembrance and resistance. Her writings have given us a voice.

Some prominent names that have extended solidarity to Gul include: Ratna Pathak Shah, Swara Bhaskar, Naseeruddin Shah and Zeeshan Ayyub from Bollywood, film-makers Shonali Bose and Sanjay Kak, journalists Arfa Khanum Sherwani, Rana Ayyub and Paranjoy Guha, senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan, writers Amitava Kumar and Aakar Patel, academics Uma Chakravarty, Nivedita Menon, Sayeda Hameed and Roop Rekha Verma, Sadhna Arya, theatre practitioners Maya Rao and Danish Husain, poets Amir Aziz, Jacinta Kerketta, Akhil Katyal, Sabika Abbas Naqvi and Nabiya Khan, student leaders Dhananjay, Gurmehar Kaur, activists Vasantha Kumari, Teesta Setalvad, Lalita Ramdas, Chayanika Shah, Navsharan Singh, and Madhu Bhushan.

Gulfisha's bail application has been unjustly pending in the Delhi High Court for almost three years, without a verdict. Despite the long incarceration and inordinate judicial delays, Gul has refused to surrender. On completing 5 years of this unjust incarceration, she writes in her recent letter - "I shall celebrate this day also to mark my survival in the most bizarre circumstances of struggle."

Like Gulfisha - Khalid Saifi, Sharjeel Imam, Umar Khalid, Meeran Haider, Athar Khan, Shifa ur Rehman, Shahdab Ahmed, Tasleem Ahmed, Tahir Hussain, Saleem Malik & Saleem Munna - all charged under UAPA in FIR 59/20 continue to be incarcerated under trumped-up charges. We stand in solidarity with the struggles of all political prisoners - academics, artists and activists incarcerated for their political dissent under UAPA. We demand the repeal of UAPA, a law that is being used to attack all voices of dissent and to punish those who stand up for constitutional and democratic rights.

Link to Instagram handle: https://www.instagram.com/freegulfisha/

Link to X (Twitter) handle: https://x.com/FreeGulfisha

Comments

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor* A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas* Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman* The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra* The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.

Search This Blog