Created by Vincentvikram
Last edited December 29, 2025
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improved article
 
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{{Short description|Indian activist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Use Indian English|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix  = Professor
| honorific_prefix  = Professor
| name              = Ilina Sen
| name              = Ilina Sen
| image              = Ilina Sen.jpg
| image              =
| caption            = Dr. Ilina Sen
| caption            = Dr. Ilina Sen
| death_date        = 9 August 2020
| death_date        = 9 August 2020
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| children          = 2
| children          = 2
}}
}}
'''Ilina Sen''' ({{lang-bn|ইলিনা সেন}}) was a human rights, trade union and feminist activist, as well as a teacher and author associated with the women's movement in India.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2020-08-11|title=Ilina Sen As We Knew Her: A Tribute from WSS|url=https://countercurrents.org/2020/08/ilina-sen-as-we-knew-her-a-tribute-from-wss/|access-date=2020-08-12|website=Countercurrents|language=en-US}}</ref> She died<ref>{{Cite web|last1=Aug 10|first1=TNN /|last2=2020|last3=Ist|first3=06:00|title=Activist Ilina, wife of Binayak Sen, passes away {{!}} Kolkata News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/activist-ilina-wife-of-binayak-sen-passes-away/articleshow/77452830.cms|access-date=2020-08-12|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> on August 9, 2020 at the age of 69<ref>{{Cite web|author=Scroll Staff|title=Activist and academic Ilina Sen dies at 69|url=https://scroll.in/latest/969884/activist-and-academic-ilina-sen-dies-at-69|access-date=2020-08-12|website=Scroll.in|language=en-US}}</ref> after battling cancer for several years.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=Social Activist, Academic and Author Ilina Sen Passes Away|url=https://thewire.in/rights/social-activist-academic-and-author-ilina-sen-passes-away|access-date=2020-08-12|website=The Wire}}</ref>
'''Ilina Sen''' ({{langx|bn|ইলিনা সেন}}) was a human rights, trade union and feminist activist, as well as a teacher and author associated with the women's movement in India.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2020-08-11|title=Ilina Sen As We Knew Her: A Tribute from WSS|url=https://countercurrents.org/2020/08/ilina-sen-as-we-knew-her-a-tribute-from-wss/|access-date=2020-08-12|website=Countercurrents|language=en-US}}</ref> She died<ref>{{Cite web|agency=TNN|date=10 Aug 2020|title=Activist Ilina, wife of Binayak Sen, passes away {{!}} Kolkata News - Times of India|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/activist-ilina-wife-of-binayak-sen-passes-away/articleshow/77452830.cms|access-date=2020-08-12|website=The Times of India|language=en}}</ref> on 9 August 2020, at the age of 69<ref>{{Cite web|author=Scroll Staff|title=Activist and academic Ilina Sen dies at 69|url=https://scroll.in/latest/969884/activist-and-academic-ilina-sen-dies-at-69|access-date=2020-08-12|website=Scroll.in|date=10 August 2020 |language=en-US}}</ref> after battling cancer for several years.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|title=Social Activist, Academic and Author Ilina Sen Passes Away|url=https://thewire.in/rights/social-activist-academic-and-author-ilina-sen-passes-away|access-date=2020-08-12|website=The Wire}}</ref>


== Career ==
== Career ==
In 2004, Ilina started teaching at the Mahatama Gandhi Antarashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalya in Wardha, where she joined as faculty in 2007. While at Wardha, she was the organising secretary of the Indian Association of Women's Studies (IAWS) conference in 2011 and then in Guwahati in February, 2014,<ref name=":4"/> during which she was also President of the IAWS.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Essay: A tribute to Ilina Sen|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/essay-a-tribute-to-ilina-sen/story-7VE4BdPvSzEdCAr6PdR6IM.html|access-date=2020-08-15|website=hindustantimes.com|language=en}}</ref>
In 2004, Ilina started teaching at the Mahatma Gandhi Antarashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalya in Wardha, where she joined as faculty in 2007. While at Wardha, she was the organising secretary of the Indian Association of Women's Studies (IAWS) conference in 2011 and then in Guwahati in February, 2014,<ref name=":4"/> during which she was also President of the IAWS.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Essay: A tribute to Ilina Sen|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/essay-a-tribute-to-ilina-sen/story-7VE4BdPvSzEdCAr6PdR6IM.html|access-date=2024-07-21|newspaper=Hindustan Times|language=en|first=Chintan Girish | last=Modi }}</ref>


In 2009, Ilina Sen went back to academics and taught at the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya in Wardha, Maharashtra before moving to Mumbai to teach at the Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies at the [[Tata Institute of Social Sciences]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Ilina Sen Symbolised Courage, Empathy And Selflessness|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-ilina-sen-symbolised-courage-empathy-and-selflessness/358506|access-date=2020-08-12|website=outlookindia.com/}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Binayak Sen|url=https://www.theweek.in/columns/Binayak-Sen.html|access-date=2020-08-12|website=The Week|language=en}}</ref> She was a Senior Fellow in the Nehru Memorial Library from July 2013 to July 2015.<ref name=":4" />
In 2009, Ilina Sen went back to academics and taught at the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya in Wardha, Maharashtra before moving to Mumbai to teach at the Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies at the [[Tata Institute of Social Sciences]].<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|title=Ilina Sen Symbolised Courage, Empathy And Selflessness|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/opinion-ilina-sen-symbolised-courage-empathy-and-selflessness/358506|access-date=2020-08-12|website=outlookindia.com/|date=12 August 2020 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Binayak Sen|url=https://www.theweek.in/columns/Binayak-Sen.html|access-date=2020-08-12|website=The Week|language=en}}</ref> She was a Senior Fellow in the Nehru Memorial Library from July 2013 to July 2015.<ref name=":4" />


== Activism in Chhattisgarh ==
== Activism in Chhattisgarh ==
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She campaigned against the wrongful arrest of Adivasi men from central India and also battled for the release of Binayak,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-03-25|title=Ilina talks tough|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/lucknow/ilina-talks-tough/story-iKkHasKlRsLAERfTInd8ZI.html|access-date=2020-08-12|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court of Chhattisgarh on the charges of sedition and assisting Maoists or [[Naxalite]]s.<ref name=":2" /> Binayak was eventually released in 2011.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Venkatesan|first=J.|date=2011-04-15|title=Binayak Sen gets bail in Supreme Court|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Binayak-Sen-gets-bail-in-Supreme-Court/article14685491.ece|access-date=2020-08-12|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> She is also remembered for her work at the NGO, Rupantar which became a role model of alternative healthcare in remote areas.<ref name=":1" />
She campaigned against the wrongful arrest of Adivasi men from central India and also battled for the release of Binayak,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-03-25|title=Ilina talks tough|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/lucknow/ilina-talks-tough/story-iKkHasKlRsLAERfTInd8ZI.html|access-date=2020-08-12|website=Hindustan Times|language=en}}</ref> who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court of Chhattisgarh on the charges of sedition and assisting Maoists or [[Naxalite]]s.<ref name=":2" /> Binayak was eventually released in 2011.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Venkatesan|first=J.|date=2011-04-15|title=Binayak Sen gets bail in Supreme Court|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/Binayak-Sen-gets-bail-in-Supreme-Court/article14685491.ece|access-date=2020-08-12|issn=0971-751X}}</ref> She is also remembered for her work at the NGO, Rupantar which became a role model of alternative healthcare in remote areas.<ref name=":1" />


== Published Work ==
== Published work ==
In 1990, Ilina Sen authored a book called "A space within the struggle"<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sen|first=Ilina|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T08qAAAAYAAJ|title=A Space Within the Struggle: Women's Participation in People's Movements|date=1990|publisher=Kali for Women|isbn=978-81-85107-20-2|language=en}}</ref> on women's participation in people's movements. She followed that with two books on Chhattisgarh, Inside Chhattisgarh – A Political Memoir<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-02-08|title=[Book Review] Inside Chhattisgarh: A Political Memoir|url=https://indiaresists.com/book-review-inside-chhattisgarh-a-political-memoir/|access-date=2020-08-12|website=India Resists|language=en-US}}</ref> and The Migrant Woman of Chhattisgarh;<ref name=":3" />
In 1990, Ilina Sen authored a book called ''A Space within the Struggle''<ref>{{Cite book|last=Sen|first=Ilina|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=T08qAAAAYAAJ|title=A Space Within the Struggle: Women's Participation in People's Movements|date=1990|publisher=Kali for Women|isbn=978-81-85107-20-2|language=en}}</ref> on women's participation in people's movements. She followed that with two books on Chhattisgarh, ''Inside Chhattisgarh – A Political Memoir''<ref>{{Cite web|date=2015-02-08|title=[Book Review] Inside Chhattisgarh: A Political Memoir|url=https://indiaresists.com/book-review-inside-chhattisgarh-a-political-memoir/|access-date=2020-08-12|website=India Resists|language=en-US|archive-date=28 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200728095037/https://indiaresists.com/book-review-inside-chhattisgarh-a-political-memoir/|url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''The Migrant Woman of Chhattisgarh''.<ref name=":3" />


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


== External Resources ==
== External resources ==
* {{URL|https://zubaanbooks.com/tag/ilina-sen/|Interview with Ilina Sen}}
* {{URL|https://zubaanbooks.com/tag/ilina-sen/|Interview with Ilina Sen}}
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJTvxV8_Cvc&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2WJkgQJP2fJdUl835qw99YjlnCwyTeVwc73-Dfh-yH0NRjD0wi_87wKoU|Dr. Ilina Sen: "We should keep up the pressure to repeal sedition law."]
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJTvxV8_Cvc&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR2WJkgQJP2fJdUl835qw99YjlnCwyTeVwc73-Dfh-yH0NRjD0wi_87wKoU|Dr. Ilina Sen: "We should keep up the pressure to repeal sedition law."]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Sen, Ilina}}
[[Category:Movements for civil rights]]
[[Category:Movements for civil rights]]
[[Category:Indian women activists]]
[[Category:Indian feminists]]
[[Category:Indian human rights activists]]
[[Category:Activists from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Indian activists]]
[[Category:Bengali activists]]
[[Category:21st-century Bengali people]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:Indian women human rights activists]]

Latest revision as of 18:27, 29 December 2025


Professor

Ilina Sen
Died9 August 2020
OccupationActivist, Teacher, Author
Spouse(s)Binayak Sen
Children2

Ilina Sen (Script error: The function "langx" does not exist.) was a human rights, trade union and feminist activist, as well as a teacher and author associated with the women's movement in India.[1] She died[2] on 9 August 2020, at the age of 69[3] after battling cancer for several years.[4]

Career[edit | edit source]

In 2004, Ilina started teaching at the Mahatma Gandhi Antarashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalya in Wardha, where she joined as faculty in 2007. While at Wardha, she was the organising secretary of the Indian Association of Women's Studies (IAWS) conference in 2011 and then in Guwahati in February, 2014,[1] during which she was also President of the IAWS.[5]

In 2009, Ilina Sen went back to academics and taught at the Mahatma Gandhi Antarrashtriya Hindi Vishwavidyalaya in Wardha, Maharashtra before moving to Mumbai to teach at the Advanced Centre for Women’s Studies at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences.[6][7] She was a Senior Fellow in the Nehru Memorial Library from July 2013 to July 2015.[1]

Activism in Chhattisgarh[edit | edit source]

In the early 1980s, Ilina moved to Chhattisgarh with her partner Binayak Sen, to work among the peoples of an Adivasi movement.[8] Initially, Sen was involved with sustainable development to ensure the preservation of seed and rice varieties.[1] She then started working in the trade union started by Shankar Guha Niyogi[1] where she spent many years and worked with trade unions, Adivasis and the underprivileged.[8][9]

The couple spent many years working in rural Madhya Pradesh and were associated with an independent union of workers in the iron ore mining belt of the then Madhya Pradesh, called the Chhattisgarh Mines Shramik Sangatan (CMSS).[4] They also worked with the Shaheed hospital of the CMSS, to provide healthcare within a working-class movement.[4]

She campaigned against the wrongful arrest of Adivasi men from central India and also battled for the release of Binayak,[10] who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a trial court of Chhattisgarh on the charges of sedition and assisting Maoists or Naxalites.[9] Binayak was eventually released in 2011.[11] She is also remembered for her work at the NGO, Rupantar which became a role model of alternative healthcare in remote areas.[8]

Published work[edit | edit source]

In 1990, Ilina Sen authored a book called A Space within the Struggle[12] on women's participation in people's movements. She followed that with two books on Chhattisgarh, Inside Chhattisgarh – A Political Memoir[13] and The Migrant Woman of Chhattisgarh.[6]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "Ilina Sen As We Knew Her: A Tribute from WSS". Countercurrents. 11 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  2. "Activist Ilina, wife of Binayak Sen, passes away | Kolkata News - Times of India". The Times of India. TNN. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  3. Scroll Staff (10 August 2020). "Activist and academic Ilina Sen dies at 69". Scroll.in. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Social Activist, Academic and Author Ilina Sen Passes Away". The Wire. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  5. Modi, Chintan Girish. "Essay: A tribute to Ilina Sen". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
  6. 6.0 6.1 "Ilina Sen Symbolised Courage, Empathy And Selflessness". outlookindia.com/. 12 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  7. "Binayak Sen". The Week. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 "Social activist and author Ilina Sen passes away". The Indian Express. 9 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Activist, academic & author Ilina Sen passes away". The Bengal Story - English. 10 August 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  10. "Ilina talks tough". Hindustan Times. 25 March 2011. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  11. Venkatesan, J. (15 April 2011). "Binayak Sen gets bail in Supreme Court". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  12. Sen, Ilina (1990). A Space Within the Struggle: Women's Participation in People's Movements. Kali for Women. ISBN 978-81-85107-20-2.
  13. "[Book Review] Inside Chhattisgarh: A Political Memoir". India Resists. 8 February 2015. Archived from the original on 28 July 2020. Retrieved 12 August 2020.

External resources[edit | edit source]