After Five Years in Jail Under UAPA, Delhi University Professor Hani Babu Shares a Journey of Struggle, Despair, and Spiritual Transformation

After spending five years and four months in prison under the UAPA in the Bhima Koregaon case, Delhi University Associate Professor and prominent Dalit activist Hani Babu M.T. was released on bail on December 4, 2025—bringing with him an extraordinary story of struggle, despair, and profound ideological transformation.

In his first detailed interview with the esteemed English media outlet frontline magzine, Professor Babu spoke candidly about the harsh realities inside Mumbai’s Taloja Jail, the erosion of middle-class dignity, and, most notably, his spiritual turn toward Islam despite his Marxist upbringing.

Professor Babu said he came to understand the meaning of freedom anew, once outside the prison walls. He explained that freedom is not confined to grand political movements; it resides in the seemingly trivial liberties often taken for granted in daily life—such as drinking coffee by choice or listening to music. “When you are free, every small thing is freedom. In jail, your freedom of movement is restricted on three levels, and your personal agency is entirely stripped away.”

He observed that the difference between social surveillance outside and constant oversight inside is only one of degree. Yet in jail, a certain realization dawns: “Outside, you think you are free; inside, you know you are not.” He experienced the raw power of authority and noted that even an intellectual can be crushed, but the ultimate freedom lies in the refusal to be crushed.

During his incarceration, Professor Babu endured severe mental crises. In 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a serious eye infection brought him close to death. In 2023, despite co-accused being granted bail, his own release was delayed, plunging him into deep despair. “Two years passed, and nothing happened. I swung between hope and hopelessness. I felt I would remain here and die here. This endless wait for freedom filled me with immense despair,” he recounted.

The most striking aspect of his interview is his spiritual transformation. Coming from a family where his father was an atheist and a Marxist, Professor Babu found faith in Islam while in prison. He explained that this shift had begun even before his arrest, as his interest in religion grew as a “social manifestation.” The decisive moment came in the NIA lockdown: “I sat there, closed my eyes, and felt myself falling into the infinite void of the universe. A call rose from my heart. I uttered ‘Allah.’ Immediately, I realized that through Allah, I could summon the strength to endure this ordeal.”

He made this faith a source of inner strength. While in jail, he learned to read the Quran, perform prayers, and study Arabic under the guidance of fellow Muslim scholars imprisoned under UAPA.

Using his linguistic and philosophical insight, Professor Babu offered a new interpretation of religion. He redefined Marx’s famous statement on “opium,” arguing that it is not merely an intoxicant but also a “remedy.” He reasoned that just as language has structure, the world does too: “If the world has a structure, what is its meaning? Religion provides that meaning. It gives purpose to human existence.”

He acknowledged that observing collective fasts during Ramadan and offering prayers on Eid gave him a sense of belonging to the Muslim community, which in turn provided extra strength and solace in confinement.

Professor Babu also highlighted that social hierarchies and caste divides in jail do not vanish; they deepen. Middle-class prisoners often enjoy privileges such as “VIP barracks” and exemptions from frisking. He found the behavior of the elite more troublesome than that of the poor or uneducated inmates, who often disregarded social boundaries. “I told them, you come from a class that holds privacy sacred, but here people come from slum environments where maintaining social distance is impossible. Everyone’s life is intertwined with everyone else’s,” he noted.

Finally, speaking of his favorite dish, biryani, he reflected that the dish defies India’s stereotypical “vegetarian” identity, as it is enjoyed across castes and classes—even in Taloja Jail.

In this way, Professor Hani Babu’s interview becomes an essential commentary on India’s justice system, the plight of political prisoners, and the complex interplay of personal belief and resilience.