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The Incarcerations: Bhima Koregaon and the Search for Democracy in India
The world's largest democracy is facing the greatest challenge since the end of British colonial rule in 1947.
The Incarcerations pulls back the curtain on Indian democracy to tell the remarkable and chilling story of the Bhima Koregaon case, in which sixteen human rights defenders-professors, lawyers, journalists, poets-have been imprisoned, without credible evidence and without trial, as Maoist terrorists.
Alpa Shah unravels how these alleged terrorists were charged with inciting violence at a new year's day commemoration in 2018, accused of waging a war against the Indian state and of plotting to kill the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Expertly leading us through the case, Shah exposes some of the world's most shocking revelations of cyber warfare research, which show not only the hacking of emails and mobile phones of the accused, but also implantation of the electronic evidence that was used to incarcerate them. Through the life histories of the 'incarcerated', Shah dives deep into the issues they fought for and tells the story of India's three main minorities-Adivasis, Dalits and Muslims-and what the search for democracy entails for them.
Essential and urgent, The Incarcerations reveals how this case is a bellwether for the collapse of democracy in India, as, for the first time in the nation's history, there is a multipronged, coordinated attack on key defenders of various pillars of democracy. In so doing, Shah shows that democracy today must be not only about protecting the freedom of expression and democratic institutions, but also about supporting and safeguarding the social movements that question our global inequalities.
The Incarcerations pulls back the curtain on Indian democracy to tell the remarkable and chilling story of the Bhima Koregaon case, in which sixteen human rights defenders-professors, lawyers, journalists, poets-have been imprisoned, without credible evidence and without trial, as Maoist terrorists.
Alpa Shah unravels how these alleged terrorists were charged with inciting violence at a new year's day commemoration in 2018, accused of waging a war against the Indian state and of plotting to kill the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. Expertly leading us through the case, Shah exposes some of the world's most shocking revelations of cyber warfare research, which show not only the hacking of emails and mobile phones of the accused, but also implantation of the electronic evidence that was used to incarcerate them. Through the life histories of the 'incarcerated', Shah dives deep into the issues they fought for and tells the story of India's three main minorities-Adivasis, Dalits and Muslims-and what the search for democracy entails for them.
Essential and urgent, The Incarcerations reveals how this case is a bellwether for the collapse of democracy in India, as, for the first time in the nation's history, there is a multipronged, coordinated attack on key defenders of various pillars of democracy. In so doing, Shah shows that democracy today must be not only about protecting the freedom of expression and democratic institutions, but also about supporting and safeguarding the social movements that question our global inequalities.
807 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 14, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
July 21, 2024
I had no clue of the details, and the background for all involved in the Bhima Koregaon case.
Such books would upset you while you read them on the state of democracy in India. But overall, I feel happy because such books, and people exist. Another atrocity is known, and not buried for the dead.
Such books would upset you while you read them on the state of democracy in India. But overall, I feel happy because such books, and people exist. Another atrocity is known, and not buried for the dead.
July 16, 2024
Alpa Shah is a respected British social anthropologist and professor at Oxford. This book is a diligent and painstaking work based on the Bhima-Koregaon case which has been dragging on in Indian courts since 2018. It is also a monster of a book, going on and on and on, as Shah has brought together a complex range of issues linked to the case - from adivasi rights and activism, to outright human rights violations in the guise of anti-naxalite operations by security forces and advanced cyber-espionage by state players and shady, private hackers-on-hire within India.
The book is sadly let down by shoddy editing, at least in the kindle edition, with far too many glaring errors and inconsistencies. Shah is at her best in profiling the BK-16, the main accused in the case who range from an octogenarian padre to journalists, human rights activists, lawyers, academics and theatre artists. Incarcerated for over five years, Fr.Stan Swamy died, six others are out on different levels of bail and house arrests, and the rest continue to languish in jail. The picture of a state at war against its own people, and the hollowing out of democratic institutions is deeply disturbing. India seems to have concocted its own brand of fascism.
The book is sadly let down by shoddy editing, at least in the kindle edition, with far too many glaring errors and inconsistencies. Shah is at her best in profiling the BK-16, the main accused in the case who range from an octogenarian padre to journalists, human rights activists, lawyers, academics and theatre artists. Incarcerated for over five years, Fr.Stan Swamy died, six others are out on different levels of bail and house arrests, and the rest continue to languish in jail. The picture of a state at war against its own people, and the hollowing out of democratic institutions is deeply disturbing. India seems to have concocted its own brand of fascism.
April 25, 2024
As India goes into national elections (2024), this book about 16 people incarcerated in the Bhima Koregaon case takes a deep dive into the state of the democracy (or its illusion) in the country.
In this deeply reported investigation which includes backstories of each of the so-called BK-16, she recounts the myriad, complex injustices inflicted on them by authorities increasingly intent on destroying democracy and the lengths the current establishment is ready to go to quell dissent of any kind.
Using media to disseminate their chosen narrative, to cyber espionage and controlling and undermining the very institutions that are duty bound to protect democracy the government seeks to create a country where fascism functions effectively under the guise of democracy.
This powerful book gives voice to the critics, the dissenters and the activists. The ones keeping the seedling of hope alive.
In this deeply reported investigation which includes backstories of each of the so-called BK-16, she recounts the myriad, complex injustices inflicted on them by authorities increasingly intent on destroying democracy and the lengths the current establishment is ready to go to quell dissent of any kind.
Using media to disseminate their chosen narrative, to cyber espionage and controlling and undermining the very institutions that are duty bound to protect democracy the government seeks to create a country where fascism functions effectively under the guise of democracy.
This powerful book gives voice to the critics, the dissenters and the activists. The ones keeping the seedling of hope alive.
September 27, 2024
Straight after finishing this, I went and added Shah's Nightmarch to my already overloaded to-read list, which I am stating up front because I suspect I am mostly going to criticise this book, but it is the irritation of a fan. The Incarcerations tells a vital story - the kind of story you wonder "how did I not know about this", and Shah is clearly uniquely positioned to tell it. Part of the book's challenges are just with the story - sixteen Indian figures have been charged with a conspiracy, but little about any of this makes sense. The conspiracy is bizarrely connected to a peaceful festival protesting caste, which is somehow blamed for inciting a mob attack upon Dalits the next day; and most of the accused had nothing at all to do with either, not even proximity. On top of this, the accused are also accused of being Naxalites, even though none have such connections, and there is no connection of the Naxelites to the festival or the mob violence. Then there is also an accusation the whole thing is tied into a plot to assassinate Modi. It is all a bit of a mixed up bag.
In trying to tell this story, Shah weaves between elements, starting with a basic explanation and then delving into the deep biographies of some of the accused. This was some of my favourite content, as Shah manages to turn what could be a grim bit into an homage to India's varied activism, tackling Adivasi protests against land theft and dams, anti-caste activism, defense of Muslim and Kashmiri communities, and more.
About a third of the way into the book, however, Shah pivots to try to tell the story of how the investigation by supporters and NGOs started to unravel evidence of extensive hacking of the technology of those accused over many years and the planting of documents purportedly linking them to Naxalite movements. Shah also tries to cover what happens to each accused, the background to the terrorist laws that allow them to be held for years with no trial (the conviction rates are under 3% for these laws)- based on clearly ludicrous evidence. She also engages in discussions around whether you could describe Modi's government as fascist, in a fundamental or technical sense. It is a lot.
The book feels a lot like it morphs and changes, and it can be hard to keep all the multitude of threads straight.
But it is a very important book, and each part is most engaging. It is hard to believe, really, that this was unfolding in the last few years, that something this bizarre and blatant could happen in modern, independent India, and most of all, that the rest of us could simply not notice.
In trying to tell this story, Shah weaves between elements, starting with a basic explanation and then delving into the deep biographies of some of the accused. This was some of my favourite content, as Shah manages to turn what could be a grim bit into an homage to India's varied activism, tackling Adivasi protests against land theft and dams, anti-caste activism, defense of Muslim and Kashmiri communities, and more.
About a third of the way into the book, however, Shah pivots to try to tell the story of how the investigation by supporters and NGOs started to unravel evidence of extensive hacking of the technology of those accused over many years and the planting of documents purportedly linking them to Naxalite movements. Shah also tries to cover what happens to each accused, the background to the terrorist laws that allow them to be held for years with no trial (the conviction rates are under 3% for these laws)- based on clearly ludicrous evidence. She also engages in discussions around whether you could describe Modi's government as fascist, in a fundamental or technical sense. It is a lot.
The book feels a lot like it morphs and changes, and it can be hard to keep all the multitude of threads straight.
But it is a very important book, and each part is most engaging. It is hard to believe, really, that this was unfolding in the last few years, that something this bizarre and blatant could happen in modern, independent India, and most of all, that the rest of us could simply not notice.
August 21, 2024
In Incarcerations , Alpa Shah documents how the state machinery, the investigative agencies and the police personnel join hands to silence voices of dissent in the world's largest democracy.The author explains in painstaking detail the events that led to the wrongful incarceration of the 16 accused in the Bhima Koregaon case and how an entirely new narrative was built following the BK violence of 2018 which later paved way for the subsequent nation wide witchhunt of 'urban naxals'.Alpa describes in length how cyber warfare and draconian laws like the UAPA were weaponised to unleash terror against civilians of this country , in this case the people whom the government saw as 'troublemakers' and those who posed a threat to its 'smooth functioning '.The arrested included people from different walks of life -the octogenarian human rights activist Father Stan Swamy who fought for the rights of the tribals in Jharkhand to public intellectuals like Anand Teltumubde and Hany Babu and artists of the Kabir Kala Manch.The author presents a wider picture of the actual state of democracy in India and how the right wing government under BJP through its shoddy dealings with many multi national corporations has unleashed a war of terror against the Dalits , the Adivasis and the muslims of this country , ever since it came into power in 2014.Alpa Shahs book is bold and gripping and should be read to understand the magnitude of damage and harm that has been inflicted upon democracy , not only in India but around the world.
July 21, 2024
Incarceration of ‘subjects’ by state is nothing new..but the scale/number of people involved..their different geographical locations..unconnected to location of incident..varied professions..only common denominator being questioning of government functioning..and the author’s courageous struggle/research to connect dots is very striking..if this is to be the indicator of our democratic functionaries God save the citizens..
June 19, 2025
This book requires an academic review. Even though I can write one, but who got time for this when u want to read more books.
Still, the writing is good, it’s easy to be precise. The story is told in a gripping manner with the author tapping into different timelines to make the plot more engaging. It is a well researched account about the BK16 people with a lot of personal details which makes it an interesting read to know about the life’s of these people.
Academically speaking, I agree with most part of book talking about the pending trails of the BK 16, which needs to be fast tracked as keeping a person in jail for 5-6 years without giving him/her a chance to have a fair trail is a mockery of not only the constitution but even basic human rights. On a personal level I think that India needs to review how it sees its tribal population, they should be allowed to live peacefully following their respective ‘way of life’ and not forced to cede land to any MNC. Development for me is not worth it if it comes at the misery of our own people. I don’t agree with the western model of development which account for GDP as a major marker, I want my people to be happy, all of them. If for some being in a forest is it, then so be it. However I don’t agree with Alpa’s argument on Facism as i find it too childish to use such a word with such wide interpretations, because if this is the metric then congratulations to us all, all through 1947 we have been living in a facist state.
Concluding it, i can say that India needs to amend some of its statutes including UAPA, PMLA, AFSPA. We need to have fast tracked trails for the BK 16. Review our understanding of development and tribal population. And finally beat the shit out of these Maoists naxal to wipe off this cancer of Naxalism from face of India once and for all (This feat can be achieved with zero casualties to innocent tribals with the precision and tech our army and CAPF got.)
Still, the writing is good, it’s easy to be precise. The story is told in a gripping manner with the author tapping into different timelines to make the plot more engaging. It is a well researched account about the BK16 people with a lot of personal details which makes it an interesting read to know about the life’s of these people.
Academically speaking, I agree with most part of book talking about the pending trails of the BK 16, which needs to be fast tracked as keeping a person in jail for 5-6 years without giving him/her a chance to have a fair trail is a mockery of not only the constitution but even basic human rights. On a personal level I think that India needs to review how it sees its tribal population, they should be allowed to live peacefully following their respective ‘way of life’ and not forced to cede land to any MNC. Development for me is not worth it if it comes at the misery of our own people. I don’t agree with the western model of development which account for GDP as a major marker, I want my people to be happy, all of them. If for some being in a forest is it, then so be it. However I don’t agree with Alpa’s argument on Facism as i find it too childish to use such a word with such wide interpretations, because if this is the metric then congratulations to us all, all through 1947 we have been living in a facist state.
Concluding it, i can say that India needs to amend some of its statutes including UAPA, PMLA, AFSPA. We need to have fast tracked trails for the BK 16. Review our understanding of development and tribal population. And finally beat the shit out of these Maoists naxal to wipe off this cancer of Naxalism from face of India once and for all (This feat can be achieved with zero casualties to innocent tribals with the precision and tech our army and CAPF got.)
August 21, 2024
The true heroes of our country. I am absolutely in awe of these activists and the sacrifices they have made to fight for the rights of minorities and the poor. Only to wind up in jail as political prisoners. Alpa Shah provides a detailed account of the lives of the activists that were arrested in the Bhima Koregaon case, details on the case and why these activists were framed. The long game that was played in framing them and the cyber espionage that was involved is terrifying. The author’s conclusion is that it ultimately all comes down to corporate interests. I didn’t know most of the details I read in the book or about the hackers-on-hire industry in India. The book is eye-opening and chilling.
Had I read the book before India’s national elections, it would have been even more distressing. However, since the elections have given us a glimmer of hope that democracy continues to exist in India, I am (perhaps, naively) optimistic that activists such as the BK-16 will continue fighting and mobilising citizens to fight along with them. The fact that this book has not been blocked but instead is clearly displayed in all Indian bookstores is hope.
The author lived amongst the Adivasis for 4.5 years doing research and hence, has known and followed the work of some of these activists over decades. The tome (500+ pages) could easily have been divided into two books. But I found it engaging, well-written and extensively researched with many fascinating interviews. Ive seen this book on a few lists of the best books on Indian politics, and I think that accolade is well-deserved.
Had I read the book before India’s national elections, it would have been even more distressing. However, since the elections have given us a glimmer of hope that democracy continues to exist in India, I am (perhaps, naively) optimistic that activists such as the BK-16 will continue fighting and mobilising citizens to fight along with them. The fact that this book has not been blocked but instead is clearly displayed in all Indian bookstores is hope.
The author lived amongst the Adivasis for 4.5 years doing research and hence, has known and followed the work of some of these activists over decades. The tome (500+ pages) could easily have been divided into two books. But I found it engaging, well-written and extensively researched with many fascinating interviews. Ive seen this book on a few lists of the best books on Indian politics, and I think that accolade is well-deserved.
April 29, 2025
The Incarcerations by Alpa Shah was a deeply moving and eye-opening experience for me. The book not only dives into the significance of the Bhima Koregaon battle for Dalit identity and resistance, but it also exposes the shocking arrests of the BK-16—lawyers, academics, and activists imprisoned without trial for their fight for human rights. As I followed their stories, I was struck by how courageously they stood up for Adivasis, Dalits, and Muslims, even as the state tried to silence them through surveillance, false charges, and planted evidence. What really stayed with me was the heartbreaking account of Stan Swamy’s death in custody and the unwavering spirit of people like Sudha Bharadwaj and Anand Teltumbde. Shah’s detailed research made me reflect hard on what democracy truly means in today’s India—and why dissent is not just necessary, but vital.
May 4, 2024
I read this while visiting India, trying to understand why Modi is seen as so differently outside India, compared to the people I met there who idolise him. And the book certainly provided a different perspective on Modi, the BJP, and the rise of intolerant Hindutva / suppression of protest.
I'm not really qualified to review this book properly, as I don't yet know enough about India, its politics, history & culture to take a balanced, informed view. But the book was a devastating critique of Modi and the BJP, of the rise of Hindu nationalism, of the inseparable connection between neoliberalism and inequality, trampling of human rights and devastation of nature.
Well worth a read if you want to understand more about modern Indian democracy.
I'm not really qualified to review this book properly, as I don't yet know enough about India, its politics, history & culture to take a balanced, informed view. But the book was a devastating critique of Modi and the BJP, of the rise of Hindu nationalism, of the inseparable connection between neoliberalism and inequality, trampling of human rights and devastation of nature.
Well worth a read if you want to understand more about modern Indian democracy.
June 18, 2024
Truly understood what it means to be a dalit, an adivasi, or from other backward communities and also made me appreciate what activists, social workers, and other such citizens do for our country. We throw around the titles so much but lose it's true meaning - and this book shines a light on that.
The stifling of voices and spread of fascism can only be reversed when the population smells the coffee, one of the hardest tasks to do to a hypnotized audience. Without that, fighting with the puppeteers would be to no avail.
The stifling of voices and spread of fascism can only be reversed when the population smells the coffee, one of the hardest tasks to do to a hypnotized audience. Without that, fighting with the puppeteers would be to no avail.
October 3, 2024
Urgent and comprehensive.
Great to have an accessible yet thorough book chronicling these immoral actions of Hindutva fascism and to celebrate the work of these powerful activists.
Stylistically speaking the second half of this book felt quite dry when compared to both the first half of this book and Shah’s other work however it still synthesised and relayed a huge amount of information in an overall engaging manner.
Great to have an accessible yet thorough book chronicling these immoral actions of Hindutva fascism and to celebrate the work of these powerful activists.
Stylistically speaking the second half of this book felt quite dry when compared to both the first half of this book and Shah’s other work however it still synthesised and relayed a huge amount of information in an overall engaging manner.
August 17, 2025
Devastating that a book like this needs to be written, but such is the state of affairs. Alpa Shah deserves all plaudits for writing this important work. She does a great job in establishing the persons involved and highlighting our country's need for them, while keeping the BK-16 case's narrative in-the-picture throughout.
September 15, 2025
This book attempts to illustrate the rise of Indian fascism by dissecting a legal case which the author contends is emblematic of such a development. The problem is that much of this book consists of dense life histories of the various actors.
June 25, 2024
If there is one book that I’d urge every INDIAN to read, it would be The Incarcerations!
June 28, 2024
Mind numbing.
November 15, 2024
Poignant and gut wrenching.
January 23, 2025
Excellent and v brave too
June 26, 2025
So moving. There are so many things happening around us, names we have heard and incidents we have read about. This book gives us a reality check.
July 2, 2025
I had absolutely no clue about these intriguing details.
Besides that, what a terrific research!!!! Loved the writing style!
Besides that, what a terrific research!!!! Loved the writing style!
September 11, 2025
A fascinating story and a tribute to some truly remarkable activists.
October 11, 2025
A hugely important book, which both depressed (India's descent into fascism) and uplifts (those brave - and able - enough to speak out) in equal measure.
August 7, 2024
In this meticulously crafted piece of work, Alpa Shah skillfully pieces together the chilling Bhima Koregaon case proving beyond doubt that it is a bellwether for the collapse of democracy and institutions that are meant to protect the rights of the masses in India.
BK 16 as they were known, evidently shone as the custodians of democracy. Among them were a Jesuit priest, lawyers, grass root activists, poets, intellectuals, academicians, journalists and political commentators. They came from every strata of society and worked towards strengthening democracy, rights of the vulnerable sections of society including Dalits and Adivasis. These individuals were targeted by hacking into their computers and planting incriminating material - a shoddy act that cybersecurity researchers could easily trace and expose. While each one of the BK 16 were inspirational in their own way, and were incarcerated unjustly, it was the Octogenarian Father Stan Swamy’s death - an institutional murder - that pained me the most.
I carry with me the lines by Stan Swamy in a letter from the prison- “A caged bird can still sing.”
BK 16 as they were known, evidently shone as the custodians of democracy. Among them were a Jesuit priest, lawyers, grass root activists, poets, intellectuals, academicians, journalists and political commentators. They came from every strata of society and worked towards strengthening democracy, rights of the vulnerable sections of society including Dalits and Adivasis. These individuals were targeted by hacking into their computers and planting incriminating material - a shoddy act that cybersecurity researchers could easily trace and expose. While each one of the BK 16 were inspirational in their own way, and were incarcerated unjustly, it was the Octogenarian Father Stan Swamy’s death - an institutional murder - that pained me the most.
I carry with me the lines by Stan Swamy in a letter from the prison- “A caged bird can still sing.”
July 15, 2024
Must read !
December 30, 2024
hindutva fascism is the new face of settler colonialism same shit all over again.
December 11, 2024
brilliantly written. A very moving and important read about the state of the nation and how free the people actually are.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews