Meeran Haider is an Indian activist leader and human rights defender known for his role in

Citizenship Amendment Act protests The Citizenship Amendment Act (Bill) protests, also known as the CAA Protest, CAB Protest or CAA and NRC protests, occurred after the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was enacted by the Government of India on 12 December 2019. The move sparked ...

. He is also the

RJD The Rashtriya Janata Dal ( RJD; translation: National People's Party) is an Indian political party, mainly based in the state of Bihar. The party was founded in 1997 by Lalu Prasad Yadav. The party's support base has traditionally been Othe ...

State President of Delhi youth wing unit.

Early life and education

Meeran Haider was born in 1991 at Barharia block of Siwan district, Bihar. As of 2020, his father is retired. His mother died in 2019. He moved to Delhi at a young age and did his schooling from

Jamia Millia Islamia Jamia Millia Islamia is a Public university, public and research university located in Delhi, India. Originally established at Aligarh, United Provinces of Agra and Oudh, United Provinces (present-day Uttar Pradesh, India) during the British R ...

. He graduated in Mechanical Engineering, going on to pursue MBA in International Business and completing an M-Phil in West Asian Studies — all from Jamia. He is presently a Ph.D research scholar at the Centre for Management Studies at Jamia.

Political activism

Meeran was a member of Aam Aadmi Party's youth wing, Chatra Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS). Meeran went on a hunger strike in 2017 as part of a protest demanding the restoration of a Student Union in the university. He co-founded the Jamia Students Forum (JSF), a platform for student activists of the university. In 2019, he left the CYSS and joined Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD). He is the President of RJD Youth Wing's Delhi unit. Haider was active in the Anti-CAA protests.

Arrest and prison

On 1 April 2020 Haider was arrested during the Covid-19 lockdown, while he was engaged in relief work, for allegedly conspiring to incite communal violence during the 2020 Delhi Riots. However he was brought to before the Metropolitan Magistrate and remanded in police custody for 14 days initially. He was granted bail, but later re-arrested by the police on another charge. According to the Delhi police the violence was a pre-meditated conspiracy and all arrests have been made based on scientific and forensic evidence. Haider was booked under

Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is an Indian law aimed at the prevention of unlawful activities associations in India. Its main objective was to make powers available for dealing with activities directed against the integrity and sover ...

(UAPA) by Delhi Police. He has been kept held in

Tihar Jail Tihar Prisons, popularly known as Tihar Jail, are a prison complex in India and are one of the largest complexes of prisons in India. There are 9 functional prisons spread over more than 400 acres. Run by Department of Delhi Prisons, the prison ...

since then. According to the special cell of Delhi it was a pre-meditated conspiracy which led to Delhi riots just before the visit to India of the United States President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

on 24–25 February 2020. The Police have made FIR. The court on 13 August 2020, has given the police time until 17 September to file the charge sheet.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haider, Meeran Activists from Bihar Living people 1991 births People from Siwan district Jamia Millia Islamia alumni People involved in the Citizenship Amendment Act protests 21st-century Indian Muslims Prisoners and detainees of India Rashtriya Janata Dal politicians ,

Early life and education

Political activism

Arrest and prison

See also

References