Umar Khalid

Umar Khalid
Native name Umar Khalid
Born 11 August 1987
Amravati, Maharashtra, India
Nationality Indian
Education Jawaharlal Nehru University
Occupation Student

Umar Khalid is an Indian activist and student at the Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is known for his involvement in the 2016 JNU sedition controversy where he was detained by the Delhi police along with Anirban Bhattacharya, allegedly on charges of sedition.[1] He was subsequently released by a Delhi court on bail.[2] He was one of the organizer of the event.[3]

Education

Khalid graduated from Kirori Mal College, University of Delhi in 2009. He completed his M.A. in history and M.Phil. from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). He was also offered a scholarship at Yale University[4] which he rejected because he preferred to work at ground in India.[5] His teachers at JNU claims that he is a bright student.[6] He is currently pursuing a Ph.D on the condition of tribal communities in Jharkhand.[7] On the very next day of his release from jail on bail (Sedition Charges) he presented his research paper in a seminar organised by JNU on 19 March 2016 for which he applied before the incident of 9 February in JNU.[8]

Activism

Before immersing himself in university politics, Khalid was known as a cricketer in Kiroli Mal College where he did his BA.[9] He appeared in a 2009 documentary on Islamophobia by Pritha Chattarjee.[10] Khalid's PhD research has focused on the issues of land alienation of tribal communities in Jharkhand.[11]

At university, Khalid chose not to run for student office as he was a part of the now defunct Democratic Students Union (DSU), which did not believe in the Lyngdoh Committee's recommendations and hence none of its members could contest elections. He is an amazing speaker.[4] He enjoyed popularity among students from Kashmir. He played leading role in the Occupy UGC movement in Delhi.[4] He along with Kanhaiya and several other went on hunger strike for the justice of Rohith Vemula for 7 days.[12] He was at the front in movement for the release of G N Saibaba, a DU professor. He has always been raising voice against the Oppression Green Hunt started by Indian State on tribal of central India. Khalid's family and friends have claimed that he was an atheist and a communist.[13][14][15]

Umar Khalid resigned from his post in the Democratic Students Union in November 2015, over its insensitivity on gender and Dalit issues.[16]

2016 JNU sedition controversy

Khalid was one of the applicants who sought permission for organising a cultural event organised by the break away fraction of Democratic Students Union (a so-called ultra-leftist group) titled ‘A Country without a Post Office’, to commemorate the anniversary of the hanging of Afzal Guru on 9 February, and to protest the "judicial killing" of Guru and Maqbool Bhat. Is was at this event that the alleged anti-national sloganeering occurred, resulting in the suspension of eight students from JNU and the arrest of JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar for sedition.[17] Intelligence reports suggested that the group wanted to hold similar events in 18 universities across the country. Khalid has denied this.[18]

He was charged by the Delhi police with sedition law for allegedly raising anti-national slogans on the campus and he surrendered himself to arrest on 24 February 2016.[19] Following his arrest, protests were held demanding his release.[20]

On 19 March 2016, he was granted an interim bail for 6 months by a Delhi Court.[21][22]

Family and personal life

Umar Khalid is the son of Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, the current President of Welfare Party of India associated with Jamaat-e-Islami Hind.[7] His sister, Maryam Fatima is a PhD student at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.[23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Hours after High Court nudge, Umar Khalid, JNU friend surrender to police". The Indian Express. 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  2. ↑ "JNU's Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya Get Bail, Kanhaiya Kumar Order Helps". Ndtv.com. 2016-03-18. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  3. ↑ "JNU row: Umar Khalid, Anirban organisers of Feb 09 event, led mob that raised anti-Indian slogans, says police | Zee News". Zeenews.india.com. 2016-03-17. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  4. 1 2 3 "Umar Khalid, an activist on campus". The Hindu. 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  5. ↑ Swara Bhaskar (2016-02-22). "An Open Letter to DSU’s Umar Khaled From a JNU Alumnus". The Quint. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  6. ↑ "Umar Khalid, My Student". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  7. 1 2 "JNU row: All you need to know about Umar Khalid". Retrieved 2016-03-22.
  8. ↑ "A day after release, Umar Khalid presents paper at scholar conference". Articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com. 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  9. ↑ "#SeditionDebate: Everything you need to know about Umar Khalid, the man they're calling 'Kashmiri traitor'". Firstpost.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  10. ↑ "‘My name is Umar Khalid and I am a Delhi University student…’ -". Indianexpress.com. Retrieved 2016-04-28.
  11. ↑ "JNU row: All you need to know about Umar Khalid | Business Standard News". Business-standard.com. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  12. ↑ "Communist pagal: Umar Khalid a voice of social justice, say friends | india". Hindustan Times. 2016-02-23. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  13. ↑ "‘Umar Khalid not a practising Muslim’". The Hindu. 2016-02-19. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2016-03-22.
  14. ↑ "JNU student Umar Khalid even questioned God, says sister". The Hindu. 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  15. ↑ "Umar Khalid hits out at Times Now, Zee News for spreading lies, Modi Sarkar for intimidation". Ummid.com. 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  16. ↑ "Umar Khalid vs police: The long night when fear stalked JNU campus | india". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  17. ↑ "JNU row: Who is Umar Khalid?". Newsnation.in. 2016-02-18. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  18. ↑ "10 things you should know about Umar Khalid : FYI, News - India Today". Indiatoday.intoday.in. 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  19. ↑ "JNU students Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya surrender". The Hindu. 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  20. ↑ "Kanhaiya Kumar to lead demand for release of Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya". Economictimes.indiatimes.com. 2016-03-07. Retrieved 2016-04-27.
  21. ↑ "Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya back at JNU". The Hindu. 2016-03-19. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2016-03-20.
  22. ↑ "JNU students Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya get bail: ‘Educated, have no criminal record,’ says Judge". The Indian Express. 2016-03-19. Retrieved 2016-03-21.
  23. ↑ Urmi Bhattacheryya (2016-02-29). ""I Respect My Brother’s Courage," Says Umar Khalid’s Sister". The Quint. Retrieved 2016-04-27.

External links

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