Shehla Rashid

Shehla Rashid Shora is a political and civil rights activist, currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Jawaharlal Nehru University. She was vice-president of the Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union (JNUSU) in 2015–16 and was a member of the All India Students Association (AISA).[1][2][3] Shora rose in prominence whilst leading the student agitation calling for the release of Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid and others who were arrested on charges of sedition in February 2016 for participating and organizing in anti-India sloganeering.[4][5][6][7]

Shehla Rashid Shora
Born
Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
NationalityIndian
EducationComputer Engineering National Institute of Technology, Srinagar
MA Sociology Jawaharlal Nehru University

Shora is vocal about the human rights situation in Kashmir, particularly highlighting the plight of minors held in custody awaiting trial, and has been active since 2010 after organising a youth leadership programme in Kashmir.[8] She played a leading role in visualising the 'Occupy UGC movement' and pioneering the decision to "camp" at University Grants Commission (UGC) for fellowships.[9] She led the protests to Ministry of Human Resources Development to ask for an increase in graduate student stipends.[10][11][12]

On 16 February 2019 Shora posted a tweet stating that a group of Kashmiri girls were trapped in a hostel in Dehra Dun by a mob demanding their expulsion. The Uttarakhand police subsequently filed an First information report against her for disrupting public tranquility and intent to provoke breach of peace by spreading rumor.[13][14] She had briefly joined the Jammu and Kashmir People's Movement political party, founded by Shah Faesal on 17 March 2019.[15][16]

Early life and education

Shehla Rashid Shora was born in the old city of Srinagar in the Habba Kadal locality.[17]

Shora studied computer engineering at the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar[17] and participated in a ten-week certificate programme in political leadership at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore. After graduating from NIT Srinagar she worked as a software engineer with HCL Technologies. She raised the issues of juvenile justice and acid attacks on women in Kashmir but "the political space there [was] too restricted." Eventually, she joined the Jawaharlal Nehru University, completing an M.A. in sociology and then studying for an MPhil in Law and Governance.[18] She is currently pursuing her PhD from JNU which is based on "how algorithm based decision-making affects policy making".[19]

Speaking at the India Today Conclave in March 2016, Shora said that she grew up watching a "very violent image of India" but JNU gave her democratic space.[20]

Activism
Shehla Rashid Shora (center) at an Amnesty International event in New Delhi. Gurmehar Kaur (left) also pictured.

Kashmir

Shora is one of the few Kashmiri women who are vocal about the human rights situation in Kashmir, particularly for ensuring justice to minor undertrials and has been active since 2010 when she was part of organising a youth leadership programme in Kashmir.[8] She participated in a seminar asking to change internet harassment laws.[21][22][23] In 2013, when Pragaash, an all-female band composed of young Muslim women, faced online harassment and death threats from Islamic conservatives in Kashmir, she came out vocally in support of the band and condemned the online abuse and threats directed at them.[24][25] She said an interview to the Times of India: "They may quit because of intolerance, rape and murder threats, because of our selectively conservative and hypocritical worldview, because men can issue rape threats to women and no one would call it unIslamic, because men can pinch our butts in the bus and no one would speak up, because men can jack off to item numbers in private but three innocent girls performing in perfectly modest clothing outrages our so-called morality". She launched a counter online campaign 'I support Pragaash, Kashmir's first all-girls' rock band' to mobilise support for the girls.[26]

Delhi
Shehla Rashid (left) being interviewed by NDTV during the Yuva Hunkar Rally at Parliament Street, New Delhi, India.

Shora unsuccessfully contested the election for the student election to Gender Sensitisation Committee against Sexual Harassment in 2014.[27]

In September 2015, she contested the election for vice-present of the JNU student union, as the nominee of the Left-backed All India Students Association, and won it, beating the ABVP's candidate Valentina Brahma by over 200 votes. She was the first Kashmiri woman to win a student union election at the JNU and the highest polled candidate of that year.[28] She said that there was enough space to articulate her political spirit at the JNU. However, her challenge was to "convince voters in favour of a Kashmir woman from a non-political background."[29]

Soon after getting elected, Shora condemned the ban on student politics at the Kashmir University. She said that, if ideas are suppressed, they would resurface in "undesirable ways."[30] In October 2015, she led a protest against the University Grants Commission (UGC) decision to cut student scholarships for MPhil and PhD students except for those that passed the `national eligibility test'. Under the banner "Occupy UGC," students from the JNU were joined by those from the Delhi University, Jamia Milia Islamia and the Ambedkar University Delhi in protests outside the UGC for over a month.[31][32] She is said to have ironed out the divergences between the AISA and the JNUSU and turned into the "face of the movement."[18]

In February 2016, Kanhaiya Kumar, the president of the JNU students' union, was arrested on sedition charges for anti-India sloganeering. Several other student leaders were charged with sedition, including the general secretary Rama Naga and a former president, Ashutosh Kumar. Shehla Rashid ran the union during the interim period as she was the only office bearer not facing charges.[4][33] Over 4,000 people joined her in a protest march on the JNU campus on 14 February led by her.[34][35] On 18 February 2016, around 10,000 people joined a march in defence of JNU through the streets of Delhi, on Shehla Rashid Shora's call.[36][17] On 2 March, she led a protest march to the Parliament, demanding the repeal of the sedition law. The protesters also called for the enactment of a `Rohith Act' for ending caste-based discrimination in educational institutions. The protest was joined by students and teachers from universities across Delhi as well as the families of Rohith Vemula and Umar Khalid.[37]

Controversies

Aligarh Muslim University Student Union (AMUSU) filed a First Information Report (FIR) against Shora in February 2017, alleging that a Facebook post she had made used objectionable language about Muhammad, the prophet of Islam.[38]

On 27 October 2018, Shehla Rashid welcomed newly converted Irish singer Shuhada’ Davitt into a Muslim community which generated online backlash.[39][40] Several days later Shehla Rashid deactivated her Twitter account (which is now active again).[41]

In February 2019, Dehradun Police filed a FIR against Shehla Rashid for a tweet she posted on 16 February 2019 where she had written "15-20 Kashmiri girls trapped in a hostel in Dehradun for hours now. mobs outside are baying for their blood. Police is present but unable to disperse the mob." Police dismissed her allegation as rumour.[42][43] The FIR was filed under sections 504, 505 and 153b of the Indian Penal Code.[44][45]

In August 2019, Shehla Rashid tweeted that Indian Army was torturing Kashmiris as a consequence of Indian revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status.[46] The allegation was rejected by the army as baseless.[47][48][49][50] Supreme court lawyer Alok Srivastsava filed a complaint under offence of sedition and sought criminal action against Shehla Rashid over her allegations.[51][52]

Political party

Shehla Rashid had briefly joined Jammu & Kashmir People's movement (JKPM), a political party started by former IAS Officer Shah Faesal. However has now resigned from the same.[15]

References
  1. "Voice from Valley leads JNU narrative". The Times of India. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  2. Bhuyan, Anoo (19 February 2016). "Student Movements Will Be Deathbed Of RSS Agenda". Outlook India. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  3. Ali, Ursila (17 February 2016). "JNU Crackdown: 4 powerful voices you can't ignore". DailyO. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  4. Aranya Shankar, Shikha Sharma (29 February 2016) JNUSU, in Kanhaiya's absence: Shehla holds the fort with Rama, Saurabh charts his own path, The Indian Express.
  5. Manavi Kapur (12 March 2016). Shehla Rashid has found a political lexicon at JNU. Business Standard. Retrieved on 7 May 2020.
  6. Sudipto Mondal (14 March 2016). Cornered on the Left: Questioning JNU student leader Shehla Rashid. Hindustan Times. Retrieved on 7 May 2020.
  7. "JNU professor exposes Kanhaiya Kumar on his 'azadi' speech". Zee News. 8 March 2016. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
  8. Bismah Malik (15 December 2011) Spreading wings in the Valley, The Hindu Business Line.
  9. (22 October 2015). Students plan all night sit-in to protest scrapping of non-Net fellowship, Zee News India.
  10. Kritika Sharma Sebastian (6 November 2015). 'Occupy UGC' protest knocks at MHRD doors, The Hindu.
  11. Manash Pratim Gohain (5 November 2015) UGC fellowship: Students get a say in review panel, The Times of India.
  12. "Occupy UGC: Students protest outside HRD Ministry, start postcard campaign". The Economic Times. PTI. 13 January 2016. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  13. "Pulwama attack aftermath: FIR against Shehla Rashid for tweet on trapped Kashmiri girls". India Today. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  14. "Shehla Rashid: Dehradun Police registers FIR against former JNUSU leader for 'rumour mongering'". DNA India. ANI. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.CS1 maint: others (link)
  15. "JNU Student Leader Shehla Rashid Enters Active Politics, Joins Shah Faesal's JKPM". News18. PTI. 17 March 2019. Retrieved 17 March 2019.CS1 maint: others (link)
  16. Roshangar, Rouf A. (17 March 2019). "J&K: Ex-IAS officer Shah Faesal launches political party, says he admires Imran Khan, Kejriwal". India Today. Retrieved 17 March 2019.
  17. Jeelani, Gulam (20 February 2016). "Shehla Rashid, firebrand Kashmiri, leading JNU students' fightback". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 18 February 2018.
  18. Kapur, Manavi (17 March 2016). Meet Shehla Rashid, the firebrand JNU leader, Rediff News. Retrieved on 18 May 2020.
  19. Sharma, Kritika (22 November 2018). "What Kanhaiya Kumar, Shehla Rashid & Umar Khalid plan to do with their JNU PhDs". The Print. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
  20. It's a direct fight against dictatorship: Kanhaiya Kumar, The Indian Express, 18 March 2016.
  21. "Researchers see need to change Internet laws". The Hindu. 13 April 2013.
  22. "Shehla Rashid on Section 66A New Guidelines". YouTube. 18 December 2012.
  23. "It's not just the government which misuses Section 66A". Firstpost. 26 March 2013.
  24. "Kashmir girl group forced to disband". India Today. February 2013.
  25. Ashiq, Peerzada (2 February 2013). "After online threats, Kashmir's first all-girls rock band may fall silent". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  26. "After online threats, Rock on, says CM to Kashmir's first all-girl band". Times of India. 3 February 2013.
  27. "Student election to JNU gender panel begins". The Hindu. 30 March 2014.
  28. ‘Student activism has been crushed in Kashmir’, The Hindu, 15 September 2015
  29. Shehla Rashid becomes first Kashmiri girl to win JNU polls, The Times of India, 14 September 2015.
  30. JNUSU leader condemns ban on student politics in Valley, India Today, 19 September 2015.
  31. In Pictures: #OccupyUGC protests against scrapping of fellowships for PhD and MPhil students, Scroll.in, 22 October 2015.
  32. ‘Occupy UGC’: Students march to MHRD, detained, The Statesman, 19 November 2015.
  33. Kamal Mitra Chenoy, How Kanhaiya Kumar went from 'anti-national' to freedom icon, Daily O, 5 March 2016.
  34. Arrest of Kanhaiya Kumar: Human chain on JNU campus as teachers demand ‘arbitrary charges’ be dropped, IE, 15 Feb 2016
  35. Watch JNU Student Union VP Make A Powerful Speech Against The Arrest Of Their President, 15 Feb 2016.
  36. Sebastian, Kritika Sharma (19 February 2016). "Thousands join march in support of JNU students" – via www.thehindu.com.
  37. JNU students march to parliament, Demand repeal of sedition law, The Times of India, 2 March 2016.
  38. "AMU Students Union invites JNU's Shehla Rashid for leadership talk, then files FIR against her". India Today. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  39. Kaur, Gurmehar (30 October 2018). "Why can't Shehla Rashid celebrate Sinead O'Connor's embrace of Islam?". The Print. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  40. Ali, Asim (10 November 2018). "Sinead O'Connor, Shehla Rashid and the Only 'Good Muslims'". The Wire. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  41. ""Can't Deal With Such Hate": Activist Shehla Rashid Quits Twitter". NDTV. Press Trust of India. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.CS1 maint: others (link)
  42. "Pulwama attack aftermath: FIR against Shehla Rashid for tweet on trapped Kashmiri girls". India Today. 19 February 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  43. "Shehla Rashid booked for spreading fake news on Twitter". Financial Express. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  44. "Do NOT circulate fake news saying Kashmiri students are being harassed: CRPF". The Times of India. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  45. "JNU researcher Shehla Rashid booked by Dehradun police for 'rumour mongering'". The New Indian Express. 18 February 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  46. "Lawyer files complaint against Shehla Rashid over comments on Kashmir". Hindustan Times. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  47. "J&K: Army rejects Shehla Rashid's allegations on situation in Kashmir". India Today. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  48. "Army denies Shehla Rashid's claims of excesses by security forces in J&K". Times of India. 20 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  49. "Indian Army denies Shehla Rashid's allegations on military; complaint filed seeking her arrest". India TV. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  50. "'Baseless and rejected': Indian Army on allegations made by Shehla Rashid on J&K". DNA. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
  51. "Complaint filed against Shehla Rashid for spreading fake news, SC lawyer seeks criminal action". www.timesnownews.com. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
  52. "Criminal complaint filed against Shehla Rashid under sedition charges". The Times of India. ANI. 19 August 2019. Retrieved 19 August 2019.
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