The Continued Impact of the 2020 Delhi Riots

Image - Laurentiu Morariu

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The riots broke out in February 2020, following a peaceful all-female sit-in against the Citizenship Amendment Act in North Eastern Delhi. It has been described as ‘72 hours of violence’ between the Muslim and Hindu communities in the area, before police eventually regained control - although the behaviour of the police force is a highly contested topic with people witnessing instances of brutality. An Amnesty International report identified that police response was “inadequate” and used “excessive and arbitrary” force against protestors. The violence had been allowed to continue for 72 hours with officers seen standing by idly allowing the attacks to unfold. 

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Gun violence was predominant in the riots, vandalisation of properties, and even reports of the use of Molotov Cocktails (a hand-thrown flammable weapon). It is believed that the riots claimed the lives of 53 people and left over 200 others with significant injuries. 

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The riots were sparked by opposition to an amendment to the 65-year old Citizenship Act, making it easier for immigrants from neighbouring countries to gain Indian citizenship. However this was not like the regular anti-immigration riots that have been rife across the globe in the past decade. 

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The driving force behind the riots 

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Initially introduced in July 2016, the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019 changed the original law that prevented illegal immigrants from becoming Indian citizens and while immigration is a general concern it was the finer details of the amendment that caused uproar. 

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The Act permits citizenship for immigrants from the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan providing their religion is one of the six listed, but importantly, this list excludes Islam despite it being the second largest religion in India, and the largest in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. A clearly deliberate decision in the exclusion of the Muslim population. 

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The major concern arises when the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is brought into play, which this bill was seen as a prelude to. The fear came from people in India being called to validate their citizenship because a lot of the population whose families have lived there for generations do not have documentation to prove it. In 2019, the NRC finalised a list that stripped around 1.9 million people of their citizenship in India. The NRC does allow for an appeal system but the supply of proof of citizenship is entirely dependent on the individual - many of which have never had physical documentation. While the Hindu population would be given a fast-track to citizenship under the Amendment act, at the time of the act being passed there remained a question mark over what would happen to the muslim population that couldn’t prove their citizenship. The presence of detention centers in Assam where the register is located was foreboding. 

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So what is driving this anti-Muslim sentiment in India? While islamophobia is deeply rooted in Indian history, since Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s election in 2014 hate speech has escalated, the India Hate Lab reports. The 2024 report highlights Modi and other government officials being the main perpetrators of hate speech. Modi has made various claims against the muslim population; national resources will go to the Muslim population because they have more children, that Congress allegedly prefers Muslims over Hindus, and that muslim men deliberately lure Hindu women into converting religion. None of these claims are verifiable and in some cases Modi has backtracked when questioned further on his statements. 

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Why is this relevant now?

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There are a number of jailed protestors who, 5 years later, are still waiting for their trials to commence. In the week commencing the 5th January 2026, five out of seven student activists have been granted bail. The two that remain waiting for trial are Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. But who are they? 

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Khalid was arrested under India’s anti-terrorism law for allegedly giving speeches that were inciting violence in February 2020. He had been a student at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi and has now been labelled as one of the key conspirators for the riots. Imam was also arrested under similar charges but for protests that took place the month prior, however five different states were pressing charges against him at the same time for various crimes of the same nature. While he has been granted bail for some of his charges, his others have meant he has been detained since his arrest in January 2020. 

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Despite the riots taking place 5 years ago, discussions around acts of discrimination are always relevant. The Citizenship Amendment Act is still in place in India - a legal framework permitting exclusion of Muslims regardless of the fact many families have resided in India for generations. The law blatantly blocks a particular community of people from being naturalised; the process of legally becoming a citizen of a country. The act has been labelled a ‘blow to Indian constitutional values’ however the response to and aftermath of the riots is also a blow to democracy in India. The riots began as peaceful protests and speeches, but as seen in the arrest of Khalid and Imam, that alone is enough for authorities to justify detainment. The Indian government ignored public outcry against the law prior to it being passed, so the backlash against its implementation should not have come as a surprise. The amendment essentially did a 180° on the previous act, jumping from not allowing immigrants to become citizens at all to providing a fast-track for specific groups. 

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In many cases of riots reported in the news, it is very rarely followed by the everyday and practical impact on citizens involved. An article published by The Frontline tells the accounts of various people that had their lives changed by the riots. 53 families had to deal with the death of a loved one. Over 200 people had their lives changed from major injuries. Properties were destroyed in an area that is predominantly working class and many have since made the decision to leave the area completely. The article tells of medical negligence in government hospitals however in the instances where people sought treatment from private hospitals, they have been unable to claim aid for their injuries due to not being logged in government records. Considering the intense response from authorities during the riots, it is surprising to see that in the past 5 years the court system has only delivered verdicts on 126 of 758 cases - leaving those waiting for trial in a state of limbo. The riots brought economic devastation, families abandoning their homes, and has left people endlessly waiting for the compensation they were promised. 

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And above all, a looming fear of speaking out against the government.