Marking four years of the unjust incarceration of Gulfisha Fatima

As Gulfisha Fatima spends another Eid in prison than with her loved ones at home, The Wire published some of her poetry and letters from prison. While mosques are being razed, locked up, eliminated, memories to be confused, overwritten, theatre, stages and streets still witness interfaith solidarity, and powerful stories of love live within and even find their way across prison walls. We share a few extracts from Gulfisha’s letters in prison – sharing these simultaneously amplifies so many thing: injustice, pain, love and solidarity, all at once.

14 April 2022: “This year fasts for three religions – Navratri-Hindu, Ramzaan-Muslims, fast-Christians – came together, yet we are not together unfortunately. Alas! Interestingly, in jail most people respect and observe fast of every religion. Hasina observed Navratri fast, Nancy observed Roza, Nusullah observed Navratri, Madhuri Ramzaan. It shows there is still hope and love which can alleviate the humanitarian crisis.”

7 February 2022: “Having been acquitted by high court after 13 and a half years, she left for home in the noon during band ginti time. I was in MI Room, so got to meet her, she was very nervous and perplexed. I could see sweat on her forehead and neck, then helped her lift her samaan. Meanwhile, I asked, “Kaisa lag raha hai [How are you feeling]?” “Bahut dar lag raha hai, pata nahi kahan rahungi, bachche apne paas rakhenge ya nahi kyonki wo mujhe doshi maante hain [I’m very worried, don’t know where I’ll stay, whether they keep the children because they think I’m guilty]. …

First time, on somebody’s release, I wanted to cry vehemently. What about those years she had spent here despite being an innocent? It should be government’s moral duty to compensate her with something. For example, job, accommodation, an amount of money etc. required.”

8 September 2022: “Although I know that the world has always been dramatic and dynamic to it’s subject, yet being a human, I also complain to Allah “Why you chose me to struggle so much?”, then after sometime I find myself convinced that not only I but millions or billions of people are also facing similar or worse imprisonment throughout the world. N di [an older prisoner Fatima is friends with] says we are not swimming along with the stream of captivity, in fact, are floating as a dead body or object on the surface of ruthless river of waiting.”

Reproduced from: 'Days Become Like a Ladder': Gulfisha Fatima's Letters From Prison’, Gulfisha Fatima, 9 April 2024, The Wire