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Dipsita Dhar

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Dipsita Dhar
Dhar in March 2022
Born (1993-08-09) 9 August 1993 (age 31)
Howrah, West Bengal, India
EducationBA (Geography) at Asutosh College, MA, M.Phil, and PhD, in Population Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University
Occupations
  • Student activist
  • Politician
OrganizationStudents Federation of India
Known forAll India SFI Leader, Social worker, Motivational Speaker
Notable workRed volunteer
Height5 ft 5 in (165 cm)
Political partyCommunist Party of India (Marxist)
RelativesPadma Nidhi Dhar (grandfather)

Dipsita Dhar (born 9 August 1993) is an Indian politician and student activist. She is the All India Joint Secretary of Students' Federation of India.[1][2] She was the CPI(M) candidate from Bally constituency for 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.[3][4][5][6][7] She contested the 2024 Indian General Election as a CPI(M) candidate from Serampore but gathered only 16.20% votes and lost her security deposit.[8][9]

Early life and Education

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Dipsita Dhar was born in Howrah,[10] West Bengal on 9 August 1993 to Pijush Dhar and Dipika Thakur Chakraborty. She graduated with a degree in geography from Asutosh College in Southern Kolkata.[11] She completed her Post Graduation and MPhil in Geography from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She did her PhD in Population Geography at Jawaharlal Nehru University and her fieldwork was in Kerala.[1][12]

Political life

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Student Politics

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Dipsita Dhar started her organisational activities through Kishore Bahini, a children's group in West Bengal. She then joined Students' Federation of India (SFI) at Asutosh College, Southern Kolkata and became the acting President of SFI College Unit and later the District Committee member of Kolkata.[13] She joined Jawaharlal Nehru University in 2013 and became the Councillor for School of Social Sciences, the first victory in JNUSU for SFI after its disruption in 2012.[13] She unsuccessfully contested for the post of JNUSU vice president in 2015.[13] She later became the unit president and secretary of SFI unit in JNU.[14] She was elected as the Vice President of SFI in Delhi State Committee in 2015. She then became the Central Committee Member and Central Secretariat Member of SFI. In 2017 convention at Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh, Dipsita became the SFI's All India Girls Student Sub Committee Convener.[15][16] She again got re-elected as the SFI's All India Girls Student Sub Committee Convener in a convention held at Sikar, Rajasthan in 2021.[17] Dipsita was also part of the Student Politician Delegation to United Kingdom along with 8 others from India, organised by the British High Commission, New Delhi in 2015.[13]

In 2018, All India Conference of SFI at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, she was elected as the All India Joint Secretary of SFI.[18] She has faced attack from Delhi Police for the participation in political movements including Justice for Rohit Vemula movement.[19][20] Her street slogans during the anti-CAA protests helped more people connect with the political cause. During the Shaheen Bagh sit-in protests in Delhi against CAA, she was active in organising protests in Votebagan and Pilkhan of Howrah, West Bengal.[21][22][23][24][25] She was one of the Panelist in Global Indian Progressive Panel held on 2 October 2020.[26] She frequently appears on India's English, Hindi and Bengali visual media as a panelist in political debates.[27][28]

Gender Issues

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She has been a public advocate and activist for several gender issues, including against violence and abuse of women.[10] In 2016, as the President, Student Federation of India, Jawaharlal Nehru University Unit, she told Al Jazeera, "The patriarchal Indian culture is to be blamed for the rape and abuse cases. If women are not considered equal to men, they will be vulnerable to abuse within the family. Indian women need to be educated about their rights so that they can fight and defend themselves against all kinds of abuse."[14] She has also advocated for girl students to organize and speak out against violence against women and girls. In 2019, as the SFI national girls’ convener, she addressed female students in a speech, noting ongoing violence against women and girls, and spoke of a lack of basics, including toilets, at state-run schools.[16] In 2019, as the All India Joint Secretary of SFI, she spoke out against the ICC process for addressing sexual harassment allegations.[29]

She has also been an organizer of the 2017 campaign to send sanitary napkins to union ministers after its taxation (bleed without fear campaign).[30][31][32] In 2017, as a member of Central Executive Committee of SFI, she said, "Sanitary pads should be considered as a health necessity and ideally to be provided to every underprivileged girl for free or in nominal cost, as a large sections of them, due to social taboo and economic reasons cannot not attain a satisfactory menstrual hygiene."[33][34] During the COVID-19 lockdown in India, the SFI committee freely distributed sanitary napkins as a part of the campaign.[35][36] She said the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the dropout rates in schools and colleges, and girl students got most affected.[37]

LGBTQIA rights

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She has publicly expressed support for the LGBTQIA community as the joint secretary of SFI and a candidate in the 2021 Bengal Assembly Elections during a meeting organized by the group Left for Rainbow Rights.[38]

Higher Education

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She is a vocal figure on policy issues in Indian Higher Education.[39][40][41][42] She has also led the SFI delegation to the Union Ministry for addressing the under representation of marginalised students in Indian Institutes of Technology's (IIT)[43] and frequently advocates against caste oppression in India.[44] She played a crucial role in Nabanna agitation in West Bengal that demanded employment and education for youth and the protests after the murder of CPI(M) activist Maidul Islam Midda.[45][46][32]

2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election

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Dipsita Dhar contested against Dr. Rana Chatterjee from All India Trinamool Congress and Baishali Dalmiya from Bharatiya Janata Party at Bally (Vidhan Sabha Constituency), West Bengal.[47][48][49] She lost the seat to TMC's Dr. Rana Chatterjee with a margin of more than 30,000 votes. As part of her campaign, she has said, "Hindus and Muslims all feel hungry in the same manner. Hunger does not distinguish between communities."[50][51] She has also said, "Education has to be a fundamental right. Babasaheb Ambedkar, while writing the Constitution, understood that education can be a very important tool for mobility. [...] Education was not just an avenue to gain knowledge but a vessel to fight oppression."[1] She also gave high importance for youth's employment issue in her campaign.[52][53] Social activist and celebrities including Kafeel Khan and Rahul Banerjee extended support for her campaign.[54][55] The Wire described her as the " New Face of Left Politics in Bengal." [56] However, she lost the election.[citation needed]

Works

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  1. Dhar, Dipsita (July 28, 2020). Black Lives Matter Should Inspire a Challenge to Caste and Religious Oppression in India, Jacobin.[57]
  2. Dhar, Dipsita (July 30, 2020). Vanilla Or Chocolate Fudge? What NEP 2020 Offers Is A Fatal Illusion Of Choice, Outlook.[58]
  3. Dhar, Dipsita (October 12, 2020). Rape, A Caste Continuum, Outlook.[59]

Personal life

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She is the granddaughter of Padma Nidhi Dhar, the three time Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) in Domjur, Howrah district.[60] She is also the cousin of Shovan Ganguly, the Bengali play back singer.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Das, Prajanma (24 March 2021). "JNU PhD scholar Dipsita Dhar on contesting in Bengal Assembly polls: Never interested in politics till I joined college". The New Indian Express. Edex Live. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  2. ^ Banerjee, Souptik (12 March 2021). "জাতীয় রাজনীতির লড়াকু মুখ, জেএনইউয়ের দীপ্সিতা বড় ভরসা বামফ্রন্টের". Kolkata24x7 | Read Latest Bengali News, Breaking News in Bangla from West Bengal's Leading online Newspaper (in Bengali). Retrieved 13 March 2021.[permanent dead link]
  3. ^ "West Bengal polls: JNUSU's Aishe Ghosh, student leader Dipsita Dhar among candidates". The News Minute. 11 March 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  4. ^ "West Bengal polls: CPI(M) to focus on young candidates". Deccan Herald. 3 March 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  5. ^ Gupta, Shrabani. "বামফ্রন্টের সম্ভাব্য প্রার্থী তালিকা!‌ জানুন কে, কোথায় দাঁড়াচ্ছেন". www.aajkaal.in (in Bengali). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  6. ^ "সম্ভাব্য বাম প্রার্থীদের চিনে নিন..." Ei Samay (in Bengali). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  7. ^ "'21-এ বামেদের প্রার্থী তালিকায় ঐশী-দীপ্সিতা ?". ETV Bharat News. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  8. ^ "Left Front announces 16 candidates in Bengal". The Indian Express. 2 March 2017. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 24 March 2024.
  9. ^ Chaudhuri, Subhasish. "27 Of 29 Left Candidates Lose Deposits In A Failed Bid To Send Any Representative To Lok Sabha". The Telegraph. Retrieved 7 June 2024.
  10. ^ a b Akhauri, Tanvi (11 March 2021). "Bengal Election 2021: CPI(M) Puts Faith In Aishe Ghosh, Other Young Candidates". SheThePeople.TV. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  11. ^ "Interview with Dipsita Dhar: Exclusive interview of Dipsita Dhar, CPM candidate from Howrah's Bally". Sangbad Pratidin (in Bengali). 27 March 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  12. ^ "৩৪ বছরে বেশ কিছু ভুল হয়েছিল, মানছেন দীপ্সিতা". Ei Samay (in Bengali). Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  13. ^ a b c d "10 Most influential women student leaders of India". Aapka Times. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  14. ^ a b Mumtaz, Roase (6 May 2016). "Sounding out Indian youth leaders". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  15. ^ "Kerala's former Health Minister KK Shailaja to inaugurate SFI's All Girls Convention in Rajasthan". Edex Live. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Violence against women are continuing unabated: SFI". The Hindu. 5 November 2019. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  17. ^ "Dipsita Dhar Is SFI All India Student Sub Committee Convener". Deshabhimani. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  18. ^ "Students Resolve to Fight Communalisation and Privatisation at SFI All India Conference". NewsClick. 3 November 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  19. ^ "Stopped: Rohith march". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  20. ^ "JNU students roughed up and detained by police". The Indian Express. 18 January 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  21. ^ "Bengal Elections: In Bally, Dipsita's Ground Campaign Counters Polarisation by TMC, BJP". Newsclick. 5 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  22. ^ "ആസാദി വിളികളുമായി പാലക്കാടിനെ പിടിച്ച് കുലുക്കിയ ആ യുവതാരം ഇതാണ്..." Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd (in Malayalam). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  23. ^ Mohan, Shriya (10 January 2020). "Sing a song of freedom". @businessline. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  24. ^ "हाथरस गैंगरेप: आखिर कौन हैं दलितों के साथ हिंसा करने वाले". www.outlookhindi.com/. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  25. ^ SFI's General Secretary Dipsita Dhar Speaks To OTV On Delhi Violence, CAA, retrieved 13 March 2021
  26. ^ Ahmed, Aminah (3 October 2020). "Young Indian Activists Speak Truth to Power". Brown Girl Magazine. Archived from the original on 18 January 2021. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  27. ^ Agenda 'হিন্দুত্ব'? যোগীর ভাষণে তুমুল তরজা, জনতার প্রশ্নের মুখে সিপিএম-বিজেপি দুই দলই!, retrieved 9 April 2021
  28. ^ "West Bengal Election 2021: বালিতে দীপ্সিতা ধরের প্রচার". ABP Ananda (in Bengali). 25 March 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  29. ^ "Return of Sexual Harassment Accused Atul Johri to JNU Exposes Cracks in ICC". NewsClick. 1 March 2019.
  30. ^ "SFI activists send sanitary napkins to Arun Jaitley in response to GST on pads". Newslaundry. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  31. ^ "Gegen Tabus: "Menstruierende Frauen verboten": Indischer Film bricht Tabu". www.rnz.de (in German). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  32. ^ a b "নারী নিরাপত্তার দাবিতে এসএফআই". www.anandabazar.com (in Bengali). Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  33. ^ "Remove tax from sanitary napkins, say Students Federation of India (SFI)". India Today. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  34. ^ "Bleed without tax: SFI sends sanitary napkins to Arun Jaitley". The News Minute. 12 July 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2021.
  35. ^ "COVID-19: Students Turn Good Samaritans For Women In West Bengal, Helping Them Get Sanitary Pads Amid Lockdown". special.ndtv.com. Retrieved 9 March 2021. [dead link]
  36. ^ Patowari, Farzana. "Student bodies helping out women in lockdown - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  37. ^ "SFI to form 'anti-drop out squads' in 2022 to bring dropped out students back to campuses". Deccan Herald. 31 December 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
  38. ^ Majumdar, Arkamoy Datta; Mitra, Debraj (31 March 2021). "Bengal Assembly Elections 2021: LGBT persons feel left out". The Telegraph. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  39. ^ "Hanamkonda: Don't meddle with education, SFI tells Centre". www.thehansindia.com. 6 November 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  40. ^ "List grows: IIM, IITs, AIIMS, IISc…". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  41. ^ "LSR college student commits suicide in Telangana due to financial crunch; student unions' protest in Delhi". Free Press Journal. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  42. ^ Shankar, Aranya (27 July 2017). "Authorities cite Centre's guidelines: JNU students say forced to write name, dissertation in Hindi". The Indian Express. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  43. ^ "Fewer number of SC/ST scholars in IITs: SFI calls for study". The Times of India. 15 December 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  44. ^ "BHU women students raise the banner of revolt high". Newslaundry. Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  45. ^ "মীনাক্ষী-দীপ্সিতারা আগলে নিলেন, তেড়েও গেলেন, নবান্ন অভিযানের সেরার শিরোপা মেয়েদের মুকুটেই - TheWall". Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  46. ^ "ঘোষণায় বাদশা, মাইক পেলেন দীপ্সিতা-ঐশী, ব্রিগেডের সঞ্চালনাতেও নতুনত্ব - TheWall". Retrieved 9 March 2021.
  47. ^ "West Bengal Elections 2021: 'বেইমানদের ভোট দেবেন না', বালিতে 'হল্লা বোল' স্লোগান দীপ্সিতার". ABP Ananda (in Bengali). 20 March 2021. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  48. ^ Mondal, Pranab (17 March 2021). "Bengal polls: Trinamool, BJP opt for star appeal in youth connect, Left welcomes activists". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  49. ^ Bengal Polls: Left Eyes Comeback Through Young Faces; Tracking Campaign Trail Of Dipsita Dhar, retrieved 9 April 2021
  50. ^ Singh, Shiv Sahay (29 March 2021). "In Bengal polls, CPI(M) bats for young candidates". The Hindu. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  51. ^ Youth leader Dipsita Dhar talks about her experience of contesting elections, retrieved 9 April 2021
  52. ^ "West Bengal Assembly polls: Will Jai Shree Ram chant satisfy hunger? asks CPI(M)'s Dipsita Dhar". Deccan Herald. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  53. ^ Bengal Election में JNU Student Deepsita Dhar BJP को कैसे चुनौती दे रहीं? (BBC Hindi), retrieved 9 April 2021
  54. ^ "Bengal Assembly Elections 2021: Kafeel Khan endorses CPM duo". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  55. ^ "সিঙ্গুরে সৃজনের পাশে শ্রীলেখা, বালিতে দীপ্সিতার হয়ে জোরকদমে প্রচার রাহুলের". www.aajkaal.in/ (in Bengali). Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  56. ^ "Watch | 'As Oppression Rises, So Will Protests', Says the New Face of Left Politics in Bengal". The Wire. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  57. ^ Dhar, Dipsita (28 July 2020). "Black Lives Matter Should Inspire a Challenge to Caste and Religious Oppression in India". Jacobin. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  58. ^ Dhar, Dipsita (30 July 2020). "Vanilla Or Chocolate Fudge? What NEP 2020 Offers Is A Fatal Illusion Of Choice". Outlook. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  59. ^ Dhar, Dipsita (12 October 2020). "Rape: A Caste Continuum". Outlook. Archived from the original on 9 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
  60. ^ "শাহরুখ ক্রাশ, রাজনীতি প্রথম প্রেম, মমতার জেদ শিক্ষনীয়: দীপ্সিতা ধর". TV9Bangla (in Bengali). 2 April 2021. Retrieved 9 April 2021.
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