Kavita Krishnan - Revision history

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	\| organization = [[All India Progressive Women's Association]] (AIPWA)		\| organization = [[All India Progressive Women's Association]] (AIPWA)
	\| party = [[Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation]]		\| party = [[Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation]]
	~~\| Women's organisatiom =~~
	}}		}}

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	==Early background and personal life==		==Early background and personal life==
	Kavita Krishnan was born to Tamil parents in [[Coonoor]], [[Tamil Nadu]]. She grew up in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh.<ref name="kavita42"/> Her father worked as an engineer at a steel plant while her mother taught English. She completed her BA from St.Xavier's college,Mumbai. Krishnan received an [[MPhil]] in English Literature at Jawaharlal Nehru University.		Kavita Krishnan was born to Tamil parents in [[Coonoor]], [[Tamil Nadu]]. She grew up in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh.<ref name="kavita42"/> Her father worked as an engineer at a steel plant while her mother taught English. She completed her BA from St.Xavier's college, Mumbai. Krishnan received an [[MPhil]] in English Literature at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

	==Biography==		==Biography==
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	===Role in Nirbhaya Protests===		===Role in Nirbhaya Protests===

	While emerging as one of the most influential activists<ref>{{cite web\|last=Ray\|first=Tinku\|title=NPR Blogs\|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/03/10/392111392/an-anti-rape-activist-is-disturbed-by-indias-daughter\|publisher=NPR\|accessdate=25 March 2015\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321095317/http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/03/10/392111392/an-anti-rape-activist-is-disturbed-by-indias-daughter\|archivedate=21 March 2015\|df=dmy-all}}</ref> during the massive anti-rape protests that followed the rape and murder of a 23-year-old girl in [[India]]'s capital city, [[New Delhi]], Kavita Krishnan has contributed substantially to shaping the discourse of the movement. One of the speeches that she made at the protest outside Delhi Chief Minister [[Sheila Dikshit]]'s house quickly went viral on YouTube<ref>{{cite web\|title=Kavita Krishnan, Secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA)\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbOhDJFc0Dc\|publisher=YouTube\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328092642/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbOhDJFc0Dc\|archivedate=28 March 2015\|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and has received over 60,000 views so far. In this speech, she laid out a kind of manifesto of the movement, one that represented a major break from the securitised, protectionist standpoint which was rife at that time and articulated women's freedom as the main demand.<ref>{{cite web\|title=Freedom Without Fear Is What We Need To Protect, To Guard And Respect\|url=http://www.tehelka.com/freedom-without-fear-is-what-we-need-to-protect-to-guard-and-respect/?singlepage=1\|publisher=Tehelka\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508225603/http://www.tehelka.com/freedom-without-fear-is-what-we-need-to-protect-to-guard-and-respect/?singlepage=1\|archive-date=8 May 2015\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title=View Point: Kavitha Krishnan, Sheila Dixit and this rape culture\|url=http://www.thealternative.in/society/view-point-kavitha-krishnan-outside-delhi-cms-office/\|publisher=The Alternative\|accessdate=25 March 2015\|url-status=dead\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402103233/http://www.thealternative.in/society/view-point-kavitha-krishnan-outside-delhi-cms-office/\|archivedate=2 April 2015\|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In this speech, she argued against the prevalent commonsense that death penalty was the solution to rape. She pointed out that the conviction rates for rape in India are extremely low and, therefore, methods such as chemical castration and death penalty can't act as deterrents. She made a strong case for arguing on the basis of women's "unqualified freedom", "freedom without fear". Her views on death penalty have been influential in shaping the discourse around rape in the aftermath of the post 16 December anti-rape protests.<ref>{{cite web\|last=Jha\|first=Nishita\|title=An Interview With Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/\|publisher=Tehelka\|accessdate=25 March 2015\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017034232/http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/\|archive-date=17 October 2013\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title='On the death penalty for rape' Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://www.deathpenaltyindia.com/expertsspeak/kavita-krishnan-secretary-of-the-all-india-progressive-womens-association/\|publisher=Death Penalty Research Project, NLU\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=dead\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121300/http://www.deathpenaltyindia.com/expertsspeak/kavita-krishnan-secretary-of-the-all-india-progressive-womens-association/\|archivedate=2 April 2015\|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news\|last=Sandhu\|first=Veenu\|title=Interview with Kavita Krishnan\|journal=Business Standard India\|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/rape-need-gender-just-laws-not-death-penalty-kavita-krishnan-112123000041_1.html\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402153152/http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/rape-need-gender-just-laws-not-death-penalty-kavita-krishnan-112123000041_1.html\|archivedate=2 April 2015\|df=dmy-all\|date=2012-12-29}}</ref> The demand for "'''Freedom Without Fear'''" became a rallying point for anti-rape protesters, and Kavita Krishnan's views on "Freedom" were extensively published.<ref>{{cite web\|last=Gupta\|first=Rahila\|title=Women demand freedom, not surveillance - An Interview With Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/\|publisher=Open Democracy\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017034232/http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/\|archive-date=17 October 2013\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|last=Rao\|first=Dipanjali\|title=Freedom without fear\|url=http://www.indianlink.com.au/freedom-without-fear/\|publisher=Indian Link\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402092644/http://www.indianlink.com.au/freedom-without-fear/\|archivedate=2 April 2015\|df=dmy-all\|date=2014-07-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title=Rapists fear women's freedom; convene Parliament to pass bills on sexual violence: protester Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rapists-fear-womens-freedom-convene-parliament-to-pass-bills-on-sexual-violence-protester-kavita-krishnan/312088-3.html\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161107212158/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rapists-fear-womens-freedom-convene-parliament-to-pass-bills-on-sexual-violence-protester-kavita-krishnan/312088-3.html\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=7 November 2016\|publisher=IBN Live\|accessdate=26 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|last=Banerjee\|first=Poulomi\|title=Our right to pleasure is always ignored: Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/sexandrelationships/our-right-to-pleasure-is-always-ignored-kavita-krishnan/article1-1324007.aspx\|publisher=IBN Live\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=~~live~~\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326010130/http://www.hindustantimes.com/sexandrelationships/our-right-to-pleasure-is-always-ignored-kavita-krishnan/article1-1324007.aspx\|archivedate=26 March 2015\|df=dmy-all\|date=2015-03-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|last=Krishnan\|first=Kavita\|title=Patriarchy, Women's Freedom and Capitalism: Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://kafila.org/2013/01/25/patriarchy-womens-freedom-and-capitalism-kavita-krishnan/\|publisher=IBN Live\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321095622/http://kafila.org/2013/01/25/patriarchy-womens-freedom-and-capitalism-kavita-krishnan/\|archivedate=21 March 2015\|df=dmy-all}}</ref>		While emerging as one of the most influential activists<ref>{{cite web\|last=Ray\|first=Tinku\|title=NPR Blogs\|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/03/10/392111392/an-anti-rape-activist-is-disturbed-by-indias-daughter\|publisher=NPR\|accessdate=25 March 2015\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321095317/http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/03/10/392111392/an-anti-rape-activist-is-disturbed-by-indias-daughter\|archivedate=21 March 2015\|df=dmy-all}}</ref> during the massive anti-rape protests that followed the rape and murder of a 23-year-old girl in [[India]]'s capital city, [[New Delhi]], Kavita Krishnan has contributed substantially to shaping the discourse of the movement. One of the speeches that she made at the protest outside Delhi Chief Minister [[Sheila Dikshit]]'s house quickly went viral on YouTube<ref>{{cite web\|title=Kavita Krishnan, Secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA)\|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbOhDJFc0Dc\|publisher=YouTube\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328092642/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbOhDJFc0Dc\|archivedate=28 March 2015\|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and has received over 60,000 views so far. In this speech, she laid out a kind of manifesto of the movement, one that represented a major break from the securitised, protectionist standpoint which was rife at that time and articulated women's freedom as the main demand.<ref>{{cite web\|title=Freedom Without Fear Is What We Need To Protect, To Guard And Respect\|url=http://www.tehelka.com/freedom-without-fear-is-what-we-need-to-protect-to-guard-and-respect/?singlepage=1\|publisher=Tehelka\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508225603/http://www.tehelka.com/freedom-without-fear-is-what-we-need-to-protect-to-guard-and-respect/?singlepage=1\|archive-date=8 May 2015\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title=View Point: Kavitha Krishnan, Sheila Dixit and this rape culture\|url=http://www.thealternative.in/society/view-point-kavitha-krishnan-outside-delhi-cms-office/\|publisher=The Alternative\|accessdate=25 March 2015\|url-status=dead\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402103233/http://www.thealternative.in/society/view-point-kavitha-krishnan-outside-delhi-cms-office/\|archivedate=2 April 2015\|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In this speech, she argued against the prevalent commonsense that death penalty was the solution to rape. She pointed out that the conviction rates for rape in India are extremely low and, therefore, methods such as chemical castration and death penalty can't act as deterrents. She made a strong case for arguing on the basis of women's "unqualified freedom", "freedom without fear". Her views on death penalty have been influential in shaping the discourse around rape in the aftermath of the post 16 December anti-rape protests.<ref>{{cite web\|last=Jha\|first=Nishita\|title=An Interview With Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/\|publisher=Tehelka\|accessdate=25 March 2015\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017034232/http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/\|archive-date=17 October 2013\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title='On the death penalty for rape' Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://www.deathpenaltyindia.com/expertsspeak/kavita-krishnan-secretary-of-the-all-india-progressive-womens-association/\|publisher=Death Penalty Research Project, NLU\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=dead\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121300/http://www.deathpenaltyindia.com/expertsspeak/kavita-krishnan-secretary-of-the-all-india-progressive-womens-association/\|archivedate=2 April 2015\|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news\|last=Sandhu\|first=Veenu\|title=Interview with Kavita Krishnan\|journal=Business Standard India\|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/rape-need-gender-just-laws-not-death-penalty-kavita-krishnan-112123000041_1.html\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402153152/http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/rape-need-gender-just-laws-not-death-penalty-kavita-krishnan-112123000041_1.html\|archivedate=2 April 2015\|df=dmy-all\|date=2012-12-29}}</ref> The demand for "'''Freedom Without Fear'''" became a rallying point for anti-rape protesters, and Kavita Krishnan's views on "Freedom" were extensively published.<ref>{{cite web\|last=Gupta\|first=Rahila\|title=Women demand freedom, not surveillance - An Interview With Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/\|publisher=Open Democracy\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017034232/http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/\|archive-date=17 October 2013\|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|last=Rao\|first=Dipanjali\|title=Freedom without fear\|url=http://www.indianlink.com.au/freedom-without-fear/\|publisher=Indian Link\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402092644/http://www.indianlink.com.au/freedom-without-fear/\|archivedate=2 April 2015\|df=dmy-all\|date=2014-07-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|title=Rapists fear women's freedom; convene Parliament to pass bills on sexual violence: protester Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rapists-fear-womens-freedom-convene-parliament-to-pass-bills-on-sexual-violence-protester-kavita-krishnan/312088-3.html\|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161107212158/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rapists-fear-womens-freedom-convene-parliament-to-pass-bills-on-sexual-violence-protester-kavita-krishnan/312088-3.html\|url-status=dead\|archive-date=7 November 2016\|publisher=IBN Live\|accessdate=26 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|last=Banerjee\|first=Poulomi\|title=Our right to pleasure is always ignored: Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/sexandrelationships/our-right-to-pleasure-is-always-ignored-kavita-krishnan/article1-1324007.aspx\|publisher=IBN Live\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=dead\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326010130/http://www.hindustantimes.com/sexandrelationships/our-right-to-pleasure-is-always-ignored-kavita-krishnan/article1-1324007.aspx\|archivedate=26 March 2015\|df=dmy-all\|date=2015-03-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web\|last=Krishnan\|first=Kavita\|title=Patriarchy, Women's Freedom and Capitalism: Kavita Krishnan\|url=http://kafila.org/2013/01/25/patriarchy-womens-freedom-and-capitalism-kavita-krishnan/\|publisher=IBN Live\|accessdate=26 March 2015\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321095622/http://kafila.org/2013/01/25/patriarchy-womens-freedom-and-capitalism-kavita-krishnan/\|archivedate=21 March 2015\|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

	===Harassment===		===Harassment===
	~~Like other female politicians in India, Krishnan has been harassed online through social media.~~ She had told reporters, <blockquote>“These trolls … they are going after me regularly, routinely, for my skin color, for my looks, telling me I’m not worth raping, what kind of torture and rape I should be subjected to, telling me what kind of men I should be sleeping with … and on and on and on, more and more,”<ref>{{cite news \|last1=Godin \|first1=Melissa \|title=From Threats of Gang Rape to Islamophobic Badgering, Indian Women Politicians Face High Levels of Online Abuse, Says Repor \|url=https://time.com/5770213/india-women-politicians-twitter/ \|accessdate=24 January 2020 \|work=Time Magazine}}</ref> </blockquote>		She had told reporters, <blockquote>“These trolls … they are going after me regularly, routinely, for my skin color, for my looks, telling me I’m not worth raping, what kind of torture and rape I should be subjected to, telling me what kind of men I should be sleeping with … and on and on and on, more and more,”<ref>{{cite news \|last1=Godin \|first1=Melissa \|title=From Threats of Gang Rape to Islamophobic Badgering, Indian Women Politicians Face High Levels of Online Abuse, Says Repor \|url=https://time.com/5770213/india-women-politicians-twitter/ \|accessdate=24 January 2020 \|work=Time Magazine}}</ref> </blockquote>

	==Criticism and Controversies==		==Criticism and Controversies==

>Scorpions13256: Removing from Category:21st-century Indian writers using Cat-a-lot

2021-07-10T04:44:28Z

Removing from Category:21st-century Indian writers using Cat-a-lot

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{{short description|Indian Politician}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kavita Krishnan
| image = Kavita Krishnan 02.jpg
| birth_name= Kavita Krishnan
| birth_date = {{birth year and age|1973}}<ref name="kavita42">{{cite web|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/cpiml-activist-kavita-krishnan-on-delhi-gangrape-december-16/1/242792.html|title=The Mass Mobiliser|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151212011847/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/cpiml-activist-kavita-krishnan-on-delhi-gangrape-december-16/1/242792.html|archivedate=12 December 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Coonoor]], [[Tamil Nadu]]<ref name="kavita42"/>
| education = [[University of Mumbai]]<br>[[Jawaharlal Nehru University]]
| occupation = [[Secretary, AIPWA and Polit Bureau member, CPI(ML), editor, Liberation]]
| organization = [[All India Progressive Women's Association]] (AIPWA)
| party = [[Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation]]
| Women's organisatiom =
}}

'''Kavita Krishnan''' is Secretary of the [[All India Progressive Women's Association]] (AIPWA).<ref>{{cite web|title=AIPWA blog|url=http://aipwa-aipwa.blogspot.com/|publisher=AIPWA|accessdate=30 May 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531091025/http://aipwa-aipwa.blogspot.com/|archivedate=31 May 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Krishnan is also a member of the politburo of the [[Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation|Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)]] (CPI-ML),<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cpiml.org/press-statements/cpiml-politburo-member-comrade-swapan-mukherjee-cremated-today/|title=CPI(ML) Politburo Member Comrade Swapan Mukherjee Cremated Today|date=8 September 2016|website=CPIML official website}}</ref> and the editor of its monthly publication, ''Liberation''.<ref>{{Cite web|title = CPI (ML) Liberation {{!}} Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal|url = http://links.org.au/taxonomy/term/65|website = links.org.au|access-date = 2016-02-22|url-status = live|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303172210/http://links.org.au/taxonomy/term/65|archivedate = 3 March 2016|df = dmy-all}}</ref> She is a [[women's rights]] activist who has publicised the problem of violence against women following the [[2012 Delhi gang rape]] of [[Nirbhaya]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Kumar|first=Sanjay|title=Interview with Kavita Krishnan|url=https://thediplomat.com/2014/01/kavita-krishnan/|publisher=The Diplomat|accessdate=30 May 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140523153826/https://thediplomat.com/2014/01/kavita-krishnan/|archivedate=23 May 2014|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Early background and personal life==
Kavita Krishnan was born to Tamil parents in [[Coonoor]], [[Tamil Nadu]]. She grew up in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh.<ref name="kavita42"/> Her father worked as an engineer at a steel plant while her mother taught English. She completed her BA from St.Xavier's college,Mumbai. Krishnan received an [[MPhil]] in English Literature at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

==Biography==

===Early Activism===

Kavita Krishnan became part of a theater group led by [[Arun Ferreira]] in [[St. Xavier's College, Mumbai]] (affiliated college of [[University of Mumbai]]) and she would participate in street plays and protests. Her serious stint with political activism took place when she joined the [[Jawaharlal Nehru University]] where she earned her master's degree and was elected Joint Secretary of the Students' Union in 1995. She was a member of the [[All India Students Association]] while she studied in JNU.<ref>{{cite web|last=Iqbal|first=Naveed|title=The making of an activist|url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/the-making-of-an-activist/1084817/0|publisher=The Indian Express|accessdate=25 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150702100958/http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/the-making-of-an-activist/1084817/0|archivedate=2 July 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> She became seriously involved with activism when she met the student leader [[Chandrashekhar Prasad]] who was also a student at JNU and a member of AISA. Fondly remembered as Chandu by the students of JNU even today, Chandrashekhar was murdered along with fellow CPI(ML) leader Shyam Narayan Yadav on 31 March 1997 in [[Siwan, Bihar]] while addressing a street meeting. Kavita Krishnan's life as an activist took a serious turn after this incident. Chandrashekhar, who had been the President of the JNU Students' Union the year before Krishnan was elected the Joint Secretary, was the first to recognise her passion and to suggest her to work full-time for women's rights.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bazliel|first=Sharla|title=Kavita Krishnan on Delhi gangrape|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/cpiml-activist-kavita-krishnan-on-delhi-gangrape-december-16/1/242792.html|publisher=India Today|accessdate=25 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151212011847/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/cpiml-activist-kavita-krishnan-on-delhi-gangrape-december-16/1/242792.html|archivedate=12 December 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Following Chandu's murder, thousands of JNU students participated in mass demonstrations, demanding action against former [[Rashtriya Janata Dal]] parliamentarian [[Mohammad Shahabuddin]], whose men, they alleged, had carried out the attack.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Three sentenced to life in Chandrasekhar murder case|journal=The Hindu|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/three-sentenced-to-life-in-chandrasekhar-murder-case/article3220897.ece|accessdate=25 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227080204/http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/three-sentenced-to-life-in-chandrasekhar-murder-case/article3220897.ece|archivedate=27 February 2014|df=dmy-all|date=2012-03-24|author=Staff Reporter}}</ref> Krishnan was part of the protests in Delhi, where the student protesters were attacked by [[Laloo Yadav]]'s men at Bihar Bhawan.<ref>{{cite web|last=Joshi|first=Rajesh|title=Red Island Erupts|url=http://www.outlookindia.com/article/Red-Island-Erupts/203394|publisher=Outlook|accessdate=25 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150404154035/http://www.outlookindia.com/article/Red-Island-Erupts/203394|archivedate=4 April 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> She spent eight days in jail for her participation in the protests.<ref>{{cite web|last=Krishnan|first=Kavita|title=Tongueless in Tihar|url=http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main16.asp?filename=Cr030406Tongueless.asp|publisher=Tehelka|accessdate=25 March 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402185852/http://archive.tehelka.com/story_main16.asp?filename=Cr030406Tongueless.asp|archivedate=2 April 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=INDIA: Student leader arrested for 1997 protest|url=https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/34635|publisher=Green Left Weekly|accessdate=25 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023054429/https://www.greenleft.org.au/node/34635|archivedate=23 October 2015|df=dmy-all|date=2016-09-05}}</ref>

===Role in Nirbhaya Protests===

While emerging as one of the most influential activists<ref>{{cite web|last=Ray|first=Tinku|title=NPR Blogs|url=https://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/03/10/392111392/an-anti-rape-activist-is-disturbed-by-indias-daughter|publisher=NPR|accessdate=25 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321095317/http://www.npr.org/blogs/goatsandsoda/2015/03/10/392111392/an-anti-rape-activist-is-disturbed-by-indias-daughter|archivedate=21 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> during the massive anti-rape protests that followed the rape and murder of a 23-year-old girl in [[India]]'s capital city, [[New Delhi]], Kavita Krishnan has contributed substantially to shaping the discourse of the movement. One of the speeches that she made at the protest outside Delhi Chief Minister [[Sheila Dikshit]]'s house quickly went viral on YouTube<ref>{{cite web|title=Kavita Krishnan, Secretary of the All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA)|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbOhDJFc0Dc|publisher=YouTube|accessdate=26 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150328092642/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbOhDJFc0Dc|archivedate=28 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and has received over 60,000 views so far. In this speech, she laid out a kind of manifesto of the movement, one that represented a major break from the securitised, protectionist standpoint which was rife at that time and articulated women's freedom as the main demand.<ref>{{cite web|title=Freedom Without Fear Is What We Need To Protect, To Guard And Respect|url=http://www.tehelka.com/freedom-without-fear-is-what-we-need-to-protect-to-guard-and-respect/?singlepage=1|publisher=Tehelka|accessdate=26 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150508225603/http://www.tehelka.com/freedom-without-fear-is-what-we-need-to-protect-to-guard-and-respect/?singlepage=1|archive-date=8 May 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=View Point: Kavitha Krishnan, Sheila Dixit and this rape culture|url=http://www.thealternative.in/society/view-point-kavitha-krishnan-outside-delhi-cms-office/|publisher=The Alternative|accessdate=25 March 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402103233/http://www.thealternative.in/society/view-point-kavitha-krishnan-outside-delhi-cms-office/|archivedate=2 April 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In this speech, she argued against the prevalent commonsense that death penalty was the solution to rape. She pointed out that the conviction rates for rape in India are extremely low and, therefore, methods such as chemical castration and death penalty can't act as deterrents. She made a strong case for arguing on the basis of women's "unqualified freedom", "freedom without fear". Her views on death penalty have been influential in shaping the discourse around rape in the aftermath of the post 16 December anti-rape protests.<ref>{{cite web|last=Jha|first=Nishita|title=An Interview With Kavita Krishnan|url=http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/|publisher=Tehelka|accessdate=25 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017034232/http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/|archive-date=17 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title='On the death penalty for rape' Kavita Krishnan|url=http://www.deathpenaltyindia.com/expertsspeak/kavita-krishnan-secretary-of-the-all-india-progressive-womens-association/|publisher=Death Penalty Research Project, NLU|accessdate=26 March 2015|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402121300/http://www.deathpenaltyindia.com/expertsspeak/kavita-krishnan-secretary-of-the-all-india-progressive-womens-association/|archivedate=2 April 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Sandhu|first=Veenu|title=Interview with Kavita Krishnan|journal=Business Standard India|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/rape-need-gender-just-laws-not-death-penalty-kavita-krishnan-112123000041_1.html|accessdate=26 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402153152/http://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/rape-need-gender-just-laws-not-death-penalty-kavita-krishnan-112123000041_1.html|archivedate=2 April 2015|df=dmy-all|date=2012-12-29}}</ref> The demand for "'''Freedom Without Fear'''" became a rallying point for anti-rape protesters, and Kavita Krishnan's views on "Freedom" were extensively published.<ref>{{cite web|last=Gupta|first=Rahila|title=Women demand freedom, not surveillance - An Interview With Kavita Krishnan|url=http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/|publisher=Open Democracy|accessdate=26 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017034232/http://www.tehelka.com/we-shouldnt-suffer-from-the-delusion-that-the-death-sentence-will-deter-rape/|archive-date=17 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Rao|first=Dipanjali|title=Freedom without fear|url=http://www.indianlink.com.au/freedom-without-fear/|publisher=Indian Link|accessdate=26 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402092644/http://www.indianlink.com.au/freedom-without-fear/|archivedate=2 April 2015|df=dmy-all|date=2014-07-09}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Rapists fear women's freedom; convene Parliament to pass bills on sexual violence: protester Kavita Krishnan|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rapists-fear-womens-freedom-convene-parliament-to-pass-bills-on-sexual-violence-protester-kavita-krishnan/312088-3.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161107212158/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/rapists-fear-womens-freedom-convene-parliament-to-pass-bills-on-sexual-violence-protester-kavita-krishnan/312088-3.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=7 November 2016|publisher=IBN Live|accessdate=26 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Banerjee|first=Poulomi|title=Our right to pleasure is always ignored: Kavita Krishnan|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/sexandrelationships/our-right-to-pleasure-is-always-ignored-kavita-krishnan/article1-1324007.aspx|publisher=IBN Live|accessdate=26 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150326010130/http://www.hindustantimes.com/sexandrelationships/our-right-to-pleasure-is-always-ignored-kavita-krishnan/article1-1324007.aspx|archivedate=26 March 2015|df=dmy-all|date=2015-03-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Krishnan|first=Kavita|title=Patriarchy, Women's Freedom and Capitalism: Kavita Krishnan|url=http://kafila.org/2013/01/25/patriarchy-womens-freedom-and-capitalism-kavita-krishnan/|publisher=IBN Live|accessdate=26 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150321095622/http://kafila.org/2013/01/25/patriarchy-womens-freedom-and-capitalism-kavita-krishnan/|archivedate=21 March 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

===Harassment===
Like other female politicians in India, Krishnan has been harassed online through social media. She had told reporters, <blockquote>“These trolls … they are going after me regularly, routinely, for my skin color, for my looks, telling me I’m not worth raping, what kind of torture and rape I should be subjected to, telling me what kind of men I should be sleeping with … and on and on and on, more and more,”<ref>{{cite news |last1=Godin |first1=Melissa |title=From Threats of Gang Rape to Islamophobic Badgering, Indian Women Politicians Face High Levels of Online Abuse, Says Repor |url=https://time.com/5770213/india-women-politicians-twitter/ |accessdate=24 January 2020 |work=Time Magazine}}</ref> </blockquote>

==Criticism and Controversies==
Kavita had been criticised by supporters of BJP and RSS for her controversial tweet on PM [[Narendra Modi]]. This tweet was followed by media and right wing backlash.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.com/news/report/kavita-krishnans-pm-stalking-daughters-tweet-sparks-row/20150629.htm|title=Kavita Krishnan's 'PM stalking daughters' tweet sparks row|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151128152719/http://www.rediff.com/news/report/kavita-krishnans-pm-stalking-daughters-tweet-sparks-row/20150629.htm|archivedate=28 November 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

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{{Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation}}

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