Talks by Devangina Kalita and Natasha Narwal: “The Injustice of Law: UAPA, Prisons and The Criminal Justice System”
Natasha and Devangana will take us through their journey of being
charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) elaborating
on how this draconian law which stands in violation of many fundamental
constitutional values, has become an instrument for suppressing dissent
by those in power. They will look at the history of the use of such
‘exceptional laws’ and how they contribute to enhancing the power of
authoritarian regimes. Drawing on their experiences of incarceration,
they will also share their reflections on the urgent need for thinking
politically about prisons — how our criminal justice system
disproportionately incarcerates the most marginalised communities in our
country, making access to justice contingent on one’s caste-class-gender
locations.