BK-16 Prison Diaries: Minal Gadling On The Many Cruelties, Ironies And Injustices Of Surendra’s Imprisonment

BK-16 Prison Diaries

BK-16 Prison Diaries: Minal Gadling on the many cruelties, ironies and injustices of Surendra’s imprisonment

To mark six years of the arbitrary arrests and imprisonment of political dissidents in the Bhima Koregaon case, The Polis Project is publishing a series of writings by the BK-16, and their families, friends and partners. (Read the introduction to the series here.) By describing various aspects of the past six years, the series offers a glimpse into the BK-16’s lives inside prison, as well as the struggles of their loved ones outside. Each piece in the series is complemented by Arun Ferreira’s striking and evocative artwork.

By Minal Gadling

July 7, 2024

6 June 2024 marked six years since Surendra was arrested. Six long years! It is very difficult to talk about this time in a few words. During these six years, life completely changed. Life, which earlier meant stability, security, friends, relatives, and happiness, was suddenly altered completely, and I found myself forced to face a reality that I could not have imagined in my worst nightmares. I recall that grim dawn of 17 April 2018, when our house was raided; that sinister morning of 6 June 2018, when Surendra was taken away. It took an extremely long time just for me to accept that this had actually happened to me. Often, I would think that I’d get up in the morning and realise that it had all just been a bad dream. But no, it was a bitter truth that had destroyed our lives, and made me experience the dark…