I realised that through Allah I can have the strength to face what was before me: Hany Babu

15/12/2025

Frontline / by Ajaz Ashraf

The activist says prison strips life of meaning, and faith in Allah became a source of strength during his five years in jail.
… In this interview, Hany Babu talks about freedom, the daily brutalities of jail life, and the turn towards Islam and Allah that sustained him during his imprisonment.

Edited excerpts:
You were arrested on July 28, 2020, and released on bail on December 4 this year (2025). How does freedom feel from inside and outside jail? Does it involve aspects of life that we take for granted only because they seem insignificant?

I was in jail for five years and four months. What you say about insignificant aspects of life constituting freedom is indeed true.
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‘When you are jailed, they want to break you. The best way to resist is to not succumb’: Hany Babu

15/12/2025

The Indian Express / by Sadaf Modak

Out on bail, Elgaar Parishad case accused speaks about his five years in prison, staying in touch with family, and letter exchanges that felt like “living in multiple time zones.”
For the five years that he spent in jail as an undertrial in the Elgaar Parishad case, says Hany Babu M T, he often dreamt that he was back teaching at Delhi University, attending academic conferences, or meeting authorities over implementation of OBC reservation (a pet concern of his).
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Also read:
▪ After more than five years in prison, Prof. Hany Babu granted regular bail in Bhima Koregaon case (The Leaflet / Dec 2025)
▪ Bombay HC bail for Hany Babu signals a critical reassessment of the Bhima Koregaon Case (CJP / Dec 2025)
▪ And then there were 3: One more granted bail, charges not framed yet, Elgaar Parishad case creaks (The Indian Express / Dc 2025)