How Long Can the Moon Be Caged? Voices of Indian Political Prisoners

Silencing and punishing critical voices lie 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.