Will continue our struggle, says student activist Natasha Narwal after release

News Network
June 17, 2021

New Delhi, June 17: Student activist Natasha Narwal on Thursday said they had received "tremendous support" inside Tihar Jail in Delhi and would continue their struggle.

Narwal, along with Devangana Kalita and Asif Iqbal Tanha, walked out of Tihar, hours after a court here ordered their immediate release in the northeast Delhi riots "conspiracy" case.

JNU students Narwal and Kalita thanked their friends and well-wishers, many of whom gathered outside the jail, for supporting them during their year-long stay behind bars.

"We have received tremendous support inside jail and we will continue our struggle," Narwal told reporters.

Welcoming the Delhi High Court order granting them bail, Narwal, an activist of women collective Pinjra Tod, said that when they were arrested, it took them many months to believe that they were in jail under such stringent charges.

Hitting out at the government, Kalita said people are in jail for raising their voice.

"They are trying to suppress the voice of people and dissent. We got a lot of support from people which helped us survive inside (jail)," she said.

On the delay in their release after the high court granted them bail, she said it was unbelievable because they had secured bail two-three days ago.

"...still we were inside jail. I almost kept expecting that some police officers will come and arrest me," she added.

Narwal, Kalita and Tanha were arrested in May last year under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

Walking out of Tihar Jail, Jamia Millia Islamia student Tanha said he had kept hope that he would be released one day and asserted that the fight against the CAA, NRC and the NPR would continue.

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News Network
November 12,2024

ikramuddinkamil.jpg

The Taliban regime has appointed Ikramuddin Kamil as the acting consul in the Afghan mission in Mumbai, Afghan media has reported.

It is the first such appointment made by the Taliban set up to any Afghan mission in India.

There was no immediate comment from the Indian side on the appointment that came.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has announced the appointment of Kamil as the acting consul in Mumbai, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

"He is currently in Mumbai, where he is fulfilling his duties as a diplomat representing the Islamic Emirate," it said.

The appointment is part of Kabul's efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with India and enhance its presence abroad, the media outlet said

Kamil holds a PhD degree in international law and previously served as the deputy director in the department of security cooperation and border affairs in the foreign ministry, it said.

He is expected to facilitate consular services and represent the interests of Afghanistan in India, the report added.

Kamil's appointment comes days after the external affairs ministry's point-person for Afghanistan held talks with the Taliban's acting defence minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, in Kabul.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, also posted on X about Kamil's appointment.

The appointment of Kamil is seen as part of efforts to facilitate consular services to the Afghan population in Mumbai.

There has been almost negligible presence of diplomatic staff at the Afghan missions in India.

Most of the diplomats appointed by the Ashraf Ghani government have already left India.

In May, Zakia Wardak, the seniormost Afghan diplomat in India, resigned from her position after reports emerged that she was caught at the Mumbai airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 25 kg of gold worth Rs 18.6 crore from Dubai.

Wardak had taken charge as the acting ambassador of Afghanistan to New Delhi late last year, after working as the Afghan consul general in Mumbai for more than two years.

She took charge of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi last November, after the mission helmed by then ambassador Farid Mamundzay announced its closure.

Mamundzay, who was an appointee of the Ghani government, had moved to the United Kingdom.

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