The death of a four-month-old baby on January 30 after his parents took him to protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in New Delhi’...
The death of a four-month-old baby on January 30 after his parents took him to protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act in New Delhi’s Shaheen Bagh area triggered outrage, and even attracted the attention of the Supreme Court. However, the plight of 41 children who were detained by the Uttar Pradesh Police early in December has largely been ignored, even as some allege they were tortured in custody.
As protests erupted in 24 districts in Uttar Pradesh shortly after India’s citizenship law was amended on December 12, the police responded with brutality. The police did not even show any restraint when acting against children, according to a study by three civil society organisations. This was particularly acute in the districts of Muzaffarnagar and Bijnor, both districts with a population that is more than 40% Muslim and with a high concentration of minority institutions where children from across the country were studying.
The organisations – Citizens Against Hate, Quill Foundation and Haq: Centre for Child Rights – conducted fact-finding investigations in the districts of Bijnor, Muzaffarnagar and Firozabad between January 10 and January 24. Their report included material from media accounts that were then verified by the researchers. The authors of this article are associated with...
