Can’t Muslims take part in protests? Is being a Muslim a crime? asks Assam SFI student

“Is being a Muslim a crime?” asked a 20-year-old Students’ Federation of India (SFI) activist, who alleged that Guwahati Police detained and assaulted him, hurled Islamophobic slurs at him and threatened him with death after he participated in a protest against violence against women on October 13.

Sahil Khan, a first-semester Bachelor of Arts student, said he was intercepted by police around 200 metres from Nehru Park on October 13, about 30 minutes after a Women’s Freedom March organised by the Women Against Violence Collective had concluded.

According to Khan, officers initially asked him to produce his scooter’s documents, but forced him into a police vehicle without explaining why he was being detained, dragged him by his hair and assaulted him inside the vehicle, while questioning his participation in the protest on the grounds that he was Muslim, Maktoob Media reported.

Khan further claimed that he was taken into Panbazar Police Station through the back entrance, where officers repeatedly used communal slurs and threatened to kill him or make him disappear. “Is demanding justice for crimes against women a crime? Or is being a Muslim a crime?” he asked, questioning why he had allegedly been singled out from more than 200 protesters.

His friend, Monirul Khan, who was accompanying him, confirmed the incident to Maktoob, while SFI state joint secretary and march organiser Utpola Das said protesters had approached several police stations before discovering where Khan was being held.

Das alleged that police initially denied detaining Khan but later acknowledged that he was at Panbazar police station after protesters gathered outside and approached senior authorities, adding that officers had justified his detention by accusing him of reckless driving, while Khan subsequently recounted the alleged assault and communal remarks.

Das also questioned the police explanation for referring to Khan as “Miya”, a term used against Muslims in Assam, and alleged that officers took an unnecessarily long route to a hospital for his medical examination. Khan was released at around 9 pm, approximately 90 minutes after his reported detention at 7.30 pm.

The incident followed the Women’s Freedom March, which was prevented from proceeding by a large police deployment over the organisers’ alleged lack of permission. The organisers instead held a protest demanding an end to violence against women and greater gender equality.

They said two young lives had been lost to sexual violence within 15 days, intensifying concerns over women’s safety. Das said the protesters would pursue legal action, describing the incident as a broader question of Muslims’ safety and freedom.