Who is Nitisha Kaul, Indian-origin professor to lose OCI status for ‘anti-India' activity?
Indian-origin professor Nitasha Kaul, revealed on May 18, that the government of India had cancelled her Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status, citing 'anti-India' activities.
In a series of posts on X, she wrote, 'IMPORTANT NOTE - I received a cancellation of my #OCI (Overseas Citizenship of #India) today after arriving home. A bad faith, vindictive, cruel example of #TNR (transnational repression) punishing me for scholarly work on anti-minority & anti-democratic policies of #Modi rule.'
Also Read: Why was UK writer Nitasha Kaul denied entry to India? MEA clarifies
She added, 'Modi BJP govt humiliated themselves & insulted non-BJP Karnataka state govt that invited me last year by ill-treating me & in spite of my 20,000 word response to their ridiculous inanity about 'anti-India', they have chosen to do this by a rigged process.'
The UK-based academician was referring to an incident in February last year, when she was denied entry into India after being invited for an event by the Karnataka state government. She accused the Centre of denying her entry due to her anti-RSS stance.
Also Read: 'Calculated harassment': Ashoka University faculty on Prof Ali Khan Mahmudabad's arrest over Op Sindoor remarks
In a post on X, Kaul said regarding her OCI status, 'Will overseas PR delegations of GOI say why 'mother of #democracy' denies me access to my mother? This is thin-skinned, petty insecurity with no respect for well-intentioned dissent that arrests/imprisons citizens in India & bars access to family for overseas citizens of #India.'
The notice sent by the government of India stated that Kaul had repeatedly attacked India's sovereignty in international forums and on social media. Kaul, who is a Kashmiri Pandit, had testified against the Indian government in 2019 at the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs, over 'human rights violations' in Jammu and Kashmir.
Nitasha Kaul is a professor of politics, international relations, and critical interdisciplinary studies at the University of Westminster in London. Kaul has a BA Honours in economics from SRCC, Delhi University, and a masters in Economics with a specialisation in Public Policy, and a Joint PhD in Economics and Philosophy from the University of Hull, UK (2003).
Also Read: Who is Renu Bhatia, woman behind the action against Ashoka University professor?
From 2002 to 2007, she worked as an assistant professor of economics at the Bristol Business School. In 2010, she worked as an associate professor in creative writing at the Royal Thimphu College in Bhutan.
Nitisha Kaul is also a novelist, writer, and a poet. Her first book was a scholarly monograph on economics and philosophy titled 'Imagining Economics Otherwise: encounters with identity/difference' (Routledge, 2007).
Nitasha Kaul also co-edited 'Can you Hear Kashmiri Women Speak? Narratives of Resistance and Resilience' (Women Unlimited, 2020).
She has repeatedly spoken out against Prime Minister Modi and the BJP-led government on her social media.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
36 minutes ago
- India Today
He does this to his dad, Shashi Tharoor quips after son's curveball on Op Sindoor
In a rare and heartwarming moment during India's diplomatic outreach in Washington DC following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor found himself fielding a question from his son, Ishaan senior Tharoor, who is part of an all-party delegation visiting key global capitals to highlight the Pahalgam carnage and India's response to it, was pleasantly surprised when Ishaan - introducing himself jokingly as asking "in a personal capacity and mostly to say hi before you go off for your next engagement" - posed a pointed query about terrorism advertisementAs Ishaan took the mic, Shashi Tharoor smiled and gestured for him to raise it properly before he responded. The question, both timely and probing, was whether any country had asked the Indian delegation for evidence of Pakistan's involvement in the Pahalgam attack, given Pakistan's repeated denials. "I'm very glad you raised this. I didn't plant it, I promise you. This guy does this to his dad," Tharoor said candidly. He stated that "no one had any doubt," and that the delegation was not asked for evidence by any foreign government. However, he acknowledged that the media in "two or three places" did raise the question."Let me say very clearly that India would not have done this without convincing evidence," he said. Citing three reasons for international understanding, Tharoor highlighted the 37-year pattern of terror attacks originating from Pakistan, each followed by habitual reminded the audience of Pakistan's disavowal of knowledge of Osama bin Laden's whereabouts, even when he was eventually found in a compound adjacent to an army camp in Abbottabad. He also mentioned Pakistan's denial of involvement in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks."So we know what Pakistan's all about. They will dispatch terrorists, they will deny they did so until they're actually caught with red hands," he also dismissed the idea of American mediation between India and Pakistan. The US has, on several occasions, taken credit for brokering a ceasefire between India and Pakistan, with President Donald Trump claiming that he strongarmed the two nuclear nations with the threat of trade and tariffs. India, however, has denied the claim on several occasions. "Mediation is not a term that we are particularly willing to entertain. You're implying an equivalence which simply doesn't exist," he said. He added, "There is no equivalence between terrorists and their victims. There is no equivalence between a country that provides a safe haven to terrorism and a country that's a flourishing multi-party democracy that's trying to get on with its business."Addressing US diplomatic engagement following the attacks, Tharoor said the PM Modi-led government had received calls at high levels from the US, and that India appreciated the concern and interest. However, he said, "They must have been making similar calls at the highest levels to the Pakistan side. Because that's the side that needed persuading to stop this process... But that's guesswork on my part."advertisementReiterating the nature of India's actions in Operation Sindoor, Tharoor drew a sharp contrast between the two nations' conduct. "India hit terror bases in Pakistan, while Pakistan hit civilians in retaliation, since there are no terror bases in India," he asserted. "There are no terrorist organisations in India listed in the UN or the State Department anywhere else. So, what do you hit? You hit civilians, innocent people. That is the asymmetry of this particular conflict."Tharoor said India's response was "precise and calibrated", and stressed that India has "systematically signalled" it is not interested in war with Pakistan. "We're not interested in attacking Pakistani civilians, ordinary people. This is about India versus terrorism," he the question of Chinese military technology and Pakistan's alleged use of it, Tharoor said India responded innovatively and effectively during the conflict. The Thiruvananthapuram MP spoke about China's interest in Pakistan, but added that despite Islamabad's use of Beijing's technology, India was able to manoeuvre its military plans to give a befitting reply to supposed to be something called a kill chain that the Chinese specialise in. We simply did things in a different way. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to hit 11 airfields," he explained. He acknowledged the depth of China's investment in Pakistan through the Belt and Road Initiative, particularly the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, and said India had "no illusions" about China's strategic stake in on the broader context, Tharoor described the war as "a distraction" for India, but "fundamental" to the Pakistani military's sense of self-importance."There was a lot of chuckling in Delhi," Tharoor remarked wryly, "when the failed general became a field marshal by promoting himself, as you said, with an extra star".Tune InTrending Reel
India Today
36 minutes ago
- India Today
Why RSS invite to ex-Congress leader Arvind Netam stirred Chhattisgarh politics
Veteran tribal leader Arvind Netam, who served as a cabinet minister in the governments of Indira Gandhi and PV Narasimha Rao, has raised eyebrows in Chhattisgarh's political circles after he got an invitation from the RSS to be the chief guest of an 83, a former Congressman, will not only share the stage with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the organisation's volunteer training camp, Karyakarta Vikas Varg-Dwithiya Samapan Samaroh, he will also speak at the closing ceremony, where he will highlight a host of significant tribal is hosting this event as it marks the end of the three-year training period for swayamsevaks. It's a deja vu for the Congress as late former President Pranab Mukherjee was also invited to the same event by the RSS in 2018, which was criticised by the party. Speaking to India Today TV, Netam said he was surprised to get an invitation from the RSS."I am surprised that RSS has invited me to a part of such a crucial event. But, I'm going to use this opportunity to highlight a bunch of tribal issues, as the RSS is a guiding force to the BJP and the party is in power in Chhattisgarh. Currently, despite having a tribal chief minister at the helm, there is a huge communication gap between the tribals and the government," he factions manage to work remotely in the tribal regions in the state. Though I'm not politically active currently, I'll raise the issues efficiently as I feel that to get the BJP's attention. This is the best I can do," he on the issues that he would be underlining, Netam said, "Religious conversion is the most important issue that I'm going to raise. It is rampantly taking place and needs immediate attention by the government. Unfortunately, my own community is sleeping over it and I'm going to seek the RSS's help as they keep consistently working on it across the nation.""Apart from that, industrialisation is also an important issue which the state government is not serious about and doesn't have the political will to resolve. Only the RSS can do something about it. It's dangerous how the PESA Act is being taken as a joke in the country, without consulting the tribals. Their lands are being given to industrialists. Only communication with the villagers can resolve this complex issue. For that, the central government must be on board which the RSS can only convey," he exited the Congress in 2023 after floating his own tribal front named Hamar Raj Party, which managed to dent the Congress's vote shares in a couple of assembly and parliamentary seats. However, the party said that if Netam joins the BJP, it will not hurt the grand old is certainly a huge tribal leader. But, tribal people are aware of the RSS's intentions. Netam will lose ground in Bastar if he joins the BJP," Congress spokesperson Sushil Shukla the other hand, the BJP feels that the RSS doesn't discriminate among people and believes in working for the welfare of the senior political analyst Sunil Kumar opined that the "Congress was not investing enough time on finding real issues and converting a non-issue into politics"."It is unfair on Netam that the Congress is attacking him despite Netam having no association with the party. The party shouldn't forget that Netam was also a part of the BJP. So, I consider this as a good move as one may be ideologically on different pages with the RSS. The robust organisation has lakhs of active members and it keeps working closely through their various frontal factions across the nation. He (Netam) will escalate various tribal issues efficiently," he Watch IN THIS STORY#Chhattisgarh#Indian National Congress#Bharatiya Janta Party
India Today
36 minutes ago
- India Today
Amit Shah's Kolkata huddle with Bengal BJP top brass sets tone for 2026 poll push
Union Home Minister Amit Shah's recent visit to Kolkata included a closely guarded meeting with senior BJP leaders, signalling a renewed push to wrest control of West Bengal in the 2026 assembly elections. According to sources, Shah held a closed-door session with Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari and BJP state president Sukanta meeting, lasting over two hours, was centred around fine-tuning the party's roadmap for the high-stakes 294-seat assembly battle, with 148 seats required for a simple majority, sources the meeting, Adhikari submitted a comprehensive report on the BJP's organisational standing across Bengal. Discussions revolved around vote share calculations and electoral arithmetic, with Adhikari reportedly informing Shah that the BJP trails the ruling Trinamool Congress by around 4-5 percent in over 150 seats, based on trends observed between the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha polls. With the BJP holding a steady 40 percent voter share statewide, Adhikari argued that a swing of just 3-4 percent could enable the party to outpace the TMC in these key constituencies and form the next government.A significant portion of the strategy focusses on strengthening booth-level organisation. West Bengal has close to 80,000 polling booths, of which 14,000 are Muslim-majority areas where the BJP does not currently plan to set up booth the party is concentrating efforts on building robust teams in approximately 57,000 other booths, despite concerns over what leaders describe as an "atmosphere of terror" in several regions, sources said. BJP leaders Bansal and Pandera have reportedly been assigned the task of enhancing their grassroots presence as part of this focused organisational from the political strategy session, Shah also addressed a gathering of around 150 saints at Swami Vivekananda's house, where he outlined a broader ideological framework for the BJP's Bengal he avoided naming specific nations, Shah reportedly spoke of the need for a distinctly Indian "national mindset," in contrast to neighbouring countries - a comment widely interpreted as a reference to Bangladesh. He emphasised that the party's Bengal strategy is not just political but also linked to national security behind-the-scenes meetings and the ideological outreach are seen by insiders as key components of the BJP's evolving campaign architecture aimed at consolidating its base and expanding its appeal across a politically charged Watch
