Quick Info
| Profession | Student Activist |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | 11/08/1987 |
| Age | 38 years |
| Birthplace | New Delhi, India |
Latest News about Umar Khalid
01/09/2025
Umar Khalid marked five years in Tihar Jail without trial in the Delhi riots case. Friends shared excerpts from a piece he wrote from prison, reflecting on hope, despair, and delayed justice amid repeated bail denials. The ongoing detention highlights concerns over the use of UAPA to silence activists.
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Bio/Wiki
| Syed Umar Khalid is an Indian student activist and former PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). | |
| He was born into a middle-class Muslim family in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, but identifies as agnostic and non-practicing, focusing on Marxism, secularism, and human rights. |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 173 cm |
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| Weight | 65 kg |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
Educational Qualification(s)
| Education |
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Personal Life
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| Political Inclination | Communist Party of India |
Relationships & More
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
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| Partner | Banojyotsna Lahiri (senior researcher, met at JNU in 2013) |
Family
| Father | Syed Qasim Ilyas (Social Activist, Owner of a Urdu Magazine) |
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| Mother | Name |
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Career
| Former research scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) | |
| Leader of Democratic Students’ Union (DSU) at JNU | |
| Co-founded United Against Hate campaign | |
| Co-founded Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students Organization (BASO) in 2016 with Anirban Bhattacharya | |
| Human rights activist and vocal critic of Indian government policies |
Favourites
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| TV Show | Coke Studio |
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Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Umar Khalid smokes. | |
| 2. It is unknown if Umar Khalid drinks alcohol. | |
| 3. His parents are originally from Amravati, Maharashtra, and later moved to Delhi in the 1980s. | |
| 4. Umar grew up in New Delhi and completed his education there. | |
| 5. Although born into a religious family, Umar never showed interest in religion. | |
| 6. In 2009, he appeared in a student-made documentary about Islamophobia. | |
| 7. He declined an invitation to study at Yale University to focus on working for minorities in India. | |
| 8. Umar was involved in a protest at JNU in 2016 and was subsequently arrested. | |
| 9. His arrest led to criticism of the BJP and protests in support of him at the University. | |
| 10. In 2016, a JNU panel suggested expelling Umar and fining Kanhaiya, which was later reviewed. | |
| 11. Umar's father defended him against media accusations of terrorism. | |
| 12. Umar compared himself to freedom fighters after his release from jail. | |
| 13. In 2016, Umar faced controversy after comparing Burhan Wani to Che Guevara. | |
| 14. His father expressed concerns about Umar's ideology conflicting with the state's views. | |
| 15. JNU's inquiry committee confirmed Umar's expulsion in 2018 related to the 2016 incident. | |
| 16. Umar narrowly escaped an attempted shooting in August 2018 at the Constitution Club of India. | |
| 17. He was targeted for leading peaceful protests opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). |