Meeran Haider

{{Infobox person

| name = Meeran Haider

| pronunciation =

| image =

| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1991}}

| birth_place = Siwan district, Bihar

| nationality = Indian

| party = Rashtriya Janata Dal

| education =

| alma_mater = Jamia Milia Islamia

| father =

| spouse =

| family =

|known_for = taking part in the Citizenship Amendment Act protests

}}

Meeran Haider is an Indian activist leader and human rights defender known for his role in Citizenship Amendment Act protests.{{cite web |last1=Alam |first1=Mahtab |title=Delhi Riots: 'Vague' FIR Names Umar Khalid, Police Arrests Jamia Student |url=https://thewire.in/rights/delhi-riots-fir-meeran-haider |website=The Wire |accessdate=11 September 2020}} He is also the RJD State President of Delhi youth wing unit.

Early life and education

Meeran Haider was born in 1991 at Barharia block of Siwan district, Bihar.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=3 October 2020|title=Bihar students writes to RJD to break silence on the incarceration of Sharjeel Imam and Meeran Haider Haider|url=http://keyboardjournal.com/bihar-students-writes-to-rjd-to-break-silence-on-incarceration-of-sharjeel-imam-and-meeran-haider/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022060252/http://keyboardjournal.com/bihar-students-writes-to-rjd-to-break-silence-on-incarceration-of-sharjeel-imam-and-meeran-haider/|archive-date=22 October 2020|access-date=2021-02-12|website=Keyboard journal|language=en-GB}} 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. 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.{{cite web|last1=|first1=|date=|title=Covid-19 Pandemic: Crackdown On Dissent Putting Lives At Immediate Risk In India|url=https://amnesty.org.in/news-update/covid-19-pandemic-crackdown-on-dissent-putting-lives-at-immediate-risk-in-india/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101073425/https://amnesty.org.in/news-update/covid-19-pandemic-crackdown-on-dissent-putting-lives-at-immediate-risk-in-india/|archive-date=1 November 2020|accessdate=11 September 2020|website=Amnesty International India|publisher=Amnesty}}

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.{{Cite web|last=Ibrar|first=Mohammad|date=4 October 2017|title=Jamia hasn't had an election in 11 years, students want franchise back|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/jamia-hasnt-had-an-election-in-11-years-students-want-franchise-back/articleshow/60930887.cms|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-12|website=The Times of India|language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2020-06-10 |title=Who are the Jamia Millia students Modi govt is witch hunting? |url=https://www.dalitcamera.com/who-are-the-jamia-millia-students-modi-govt-witch-hunts/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220626230945/https://www.dalitcamera.com/who-are-the-jamia-millia-students-modi-govt-witch-hunts/ |archive-date=2022-06-26 |access-date=2021-01-12 |website=Dalit Camera |language=en-US}}{{cite web|last1=|first1=|date=|title=Delhi Riots: Police Books Umar Khalid, Meeran Haider, Safoora Zargar Under UAPA|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/delhi-riots-police-books-umar-khalid-meeran-haider-safoora-zargar-under-uapa_in_5e9fb770c5b6a486d0811c0c|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201028175415/https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/delhi-riots-police-books-umar-khalid-meeran-haider-safoora-zargar-under-uapa_in_5e9fb770c5b6a486d0811c0c|archive-date=28 October 2020|accessdate=5 October 2020|website=huggingtonpost|publisher=press trust of India}}

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.{{cite web|last1=|first1=|date=|title=Delhi violence: Jamia student arrested for allegedly conspiring to incite communal riots|url=https://scroll.in/latest/958018/delhi-violence-jamia-student-arrested-for-allegedly-conspiring-to-incite-communal-riots|archive-url=|archive-date=|accessdate=11 September 2020|website=Scroll}} However he was brought to before the Metropolitan Magistrate and remanded in police custody for 14 days initially.{{cite web |last1=abcd |first1=efg |title=Delhi Violence: Court Sends Jamia Student To 14-Days Judicial Custody |url=https://www.ndtv.com/delhi-news/delhi-violence-court-sends-jamia-student-to-14-days-judicial-custody-2212513 |website=NDTV |accessdate=11 September 2020}}{{cite web |last1=Service |first1=Express News |title=DDelhi riots: Jamia student sent to 14 days judicial custody |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/delhi/2020/apr/15/delhi-riots-jamia-student-sent-to-14-days-judicial-custody-2130532.html |website=Indian Express |accessdate=11 September 2020}} He was granted bail, but later re-arrested by the police on another charge.{{cite web |last1=abcd |first1=ef |title=Delhi Riots: Police Books Umar Khalid, Meeran Haider, Safoora Zargar Under UAPA |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.in/entry/delhi-riots-police-books-umar-khalid-meeran-haider-safoora-zargar-under-uapa_in_5e9fb770c5b6a486d0811c0c |website=huggingtonpost |publisher=Huffington Post |accessdate=11 September 2020}}

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 (UAPA) by Delhi Police.{{cite web |last1=ab |first1=cde |title=Government Of India Must Stop Using Draconian Laws Against Dissenting Voices |url=https://amnesty.org.in/news-update/government-of-india-must-stop-using-draconian-laws-against-dissenting-voices/ |website=Amnesty International India |publisher=Amnesty |accessdate=11 September 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Nanjappa |first1=Vicky |title=Umar khalid, safoora zargar, PFI, student activists and the one link to Delhi riots |url=https://www.oneindia.com/india/umar-khalid-safoora-zargar-pfi-student-activists-and-the-one-link-to-delhi-riots-3077857.html |accessdate=11 September 2020 |work=oneindia}} He has been kept held in Tihar Jail since then.{{fact|date=February 2023}}

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 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.{{cite web |last1=abc |first1=def |title=Delhi violence:HC seeks police reply on plea challenging time granted to complete probe in UAPA case |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/newsscroll/delhi-violencehc-seeks-police-reply-on-plea-challenging-time-granted-to-complete-probe-in-uapa-case/1922650 |website=Outlook |accessdate=14 September 2020}}