Devangana Kalita Age, Boyfriend, Husband, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Devangana Kalita

• Devangana Kalita is an MPhil student from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi. Devangana came to the centre of public attention in 2020 after she took part in various anti-CAA & NRC protests in Delhi and NCR following which she was arrested in May 2020 in four different FIR’s, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) was also slapped against her.

• Devangana spent most of her childhood and adulthood studying in Delhi.

• She became inclined towards student politics during her days at Miranda House, University of Delhi. She contested the student council elections as an independent candidate and got elected as the student council vice president of the university.

• She regularly took part in various protests related to safety and social issues both inside and outside the university campus.

• Following her graduation from Miranda House, University of Delhi in 2010, Devangana interned at the Seva Mandir, an NGO based in Udaipur.

• Thereafter, she moved to the UK to pursue a master’s course in Gender and Development from the University of Sussex.

• During her stint in the UK, Devangana got married to her boyfriend whom she had first met while interning at the Seva Mandir NGO.

• She returned to India immediately after accomplishing her master’s degree.

• In 2015, she enrolled at JNU to pursue a second master’s degree in History.

• Right after entering JNU, she started taking part in various events which resonated with her notion. She also indulged in a campaign in Delhi’s Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University to create awareness about menstrual hygiene.

• Devangana had been vocal in her criticism of hostel curfew hours since her days at Miranda House woman’s college. In August 2015, she, along with her friends, started a Facebook page “Pinjra Tod: Break the Hostel Locks.” This was as a protest against the Jamia Milia Islamia Administration’s new rule that changed the return time to the hostel for girls from 10 pm to 8 pm. ^[8]Hindustan Times The page would share stories sent by women students from different colleges around India. Consequently, a wave of protests erupted nationwide, questioning the stringent rules and policies imposed on female students. Later, Pinjra Tod movement, which had been started with curfew hours as its core issue of protest went on to expand its fight in support of gender equality and against a plethora of other social issues.

• In December 2019, as the protests against the CAA gathered momentum in the national capital, Devangana, along with other Pinjra Tod activists, expressed her support to the protests. From there on, she actively took part in the protests against CAA-NRC in different areas of Delhi and NCR.
  

  A file photo of Devangana Kalita shouting slogans during an Anti-CAA protest in Delhi

• On 23 May 2020, the Delhi Police interrogated Devangana and her flatmate Natasha Narwal in connection with the 2020 Delhi Riots, at their flat in North Delhi. Thereafter, they were arrested in connection with FIR 48/2020, a first information report that accused them of having participated in an anti-CAA sit-in protest under Jaffrabad metro station on 22 & 23 February 2020, without taking permission from concerned authorities. Jaffrabad protest site was the place from where the Delhi riots first erupted on 24 February 2020.

• The following day, on 24 May 2020, a Delhi court released her on bail in the case; however, she was rearrested the same day by a Crime Branch Team in another case filed in FIR 50/2020. ^[9]The Leaflet

• On 30 May 2020, Devangana was again arrested in connection with another FIR (250/2019) in connection to the violence that broke in old Delhi’s Daryaganj area in December 2019. However, on 2 June 2020, a Delhi Court granted her bail in this FIR. ^[10]scroll.in

• After a few days, on 6 June 2020, police arrested Devangana in connection with FIR 59/2020 and also invoked against her the non-bailable anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. ^[11]The Leaflet

• On 1 September 2020, the Delhi High Court granted her bail in the third FIR (50/2020), saying that the Delhi police had no evidence, which showed her role in the violence. ^[12]The Hindu

• Devangana has been booked under as many as 33 charges, including sedition, criminal conspiracy, murder, dacoity, rioting, and terrorism. Out of these four FIR, the court has granted her bail in three of them. ^[13]scroll.in She is still lodged in Tihar jail. ^[14]outlook.com

• Devangana’s friends describe her as someone who is Animated, dreamy, nurturing and occasionally silly. ^[15]Article 14

• Her friends also say that Devangana is a person who always wants to change the current state of things and also question the system for the betterment of society. She believes in progressive politics. ^[16]Article 14

• Painiting and hoola hoop work as a stress buster for Devangana. ^[17]Article 14
  

• Some of her favourite dishes are fish, duck, pork and rice. ^[18]Article 14