A POWERFUL LOOK AT INDIA’S AUTHORITARIAN TURN THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES OF POLITICAL PRISONERS
Silencing and punishing critical voices lies at the heart of the Hindu nationalist project. The Narendra Modi government’s ten-year rule has made this clear: to achieve its political dream of an exclusively ‘Hindu’ India, anyone who dares to question or dissent is a fair target.
In this unique book, Suchitra Vijayan and Francesca Recchia look at the Indian present through the lived experiences of political prisoners. Combining political and legal analysis with first-hand testimonies, the book explores the small gestures that constitute resistance inside and outside jail for the prisoners and their families, telling a story of destruction of institutions and erosion of rights.
How Long Can the Moon Be Caged? includes visual testimonies and prison writings from those falsely accused of inciting the Bhima Koregaon violence, by student leaders opposing the new discriminatory citizenship law passed in 2020 and by activists from the Pinjra Tod’s movement. In bringing together these voices, the book celebrates the courage, humanity and moral integrity of those jailed for standing in solidarity with India’s marginalised and oppressed communities.
About the Authors
Suchitra Vijayan is the author of the critically acclaimed Midnight’s Borders: A People’s History of Modern India (Context, 2021). Born and raised in Madras, India, her work has appeared in The Washington Post, GQ, The Boston Review, The Nation and Foreign Policy, and she has appeared on NBC news, BBC World Service and NPR. She is an award-winning photographer, founding member and Executive Director of The Polis Project.
Francesca Recchia is an independent researcher and writer. She is the editor, creative director and a founding member of The Polis Project. Francesca lived and worked for a decade in Afghanistan where, among other things, she was the Acting Director of the Institute for Afghan Arts and Architecture and the Culture Specialist for the Aga Khan Trust for Culture. She is interested in the geopolitical dimension of Cultural processes and in recent years has focused her research on the relation between (tangible and intangible) heritage, politics and creative practices in countries in conflict. Her practice-based work is grounded on an interdisciplinary approach that combines heritage, design, visual and cultural studies.
