use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates = , burial_place = , burial_coordinates = , monuments = , nationality = , other_names = , siglum = , citizenship = , education = *

Kinnaird College The Kinnaird College for Women (KCW) is a university located in Lahore, Pakistan. It is a women's liberal arts university. Kinnaird was established in 1913 by the Zenana Bible and Medical Mission. In 1919, Presbyterian Mission Church and the C ...

, Lahore * Government College, Lahore * Punjab University , alma_mater = , occupation = , years_active = 1943-1945 , era = , employer = , organization = , agent = , known_for = *Debating *First Indian service woman to visit the UK , notable_works = , style = , height = , television = , title = , term = , predecessor = , successor = , party = , otherparty = , movement = , opponents = , boards = , spouse = , partner = , children =

Mala Sen Mala Sen (3 June 1947 – 21 May 2011) was a Bengali-Indian-British writer and human rights activist. As an activist, she was known for her civil rights activism and race relations work in London during the 1960s and 1970s, as part of the Briti ...

(daughter) , parents = , mother = , father = S. N. Gupta , relatives = , family = , callsign = , awards = , module = , module2 = , module3 = , module4 = , module5 = , module6 = , signature = , signature_size = , signature_alt = , footnotes = Kalyani Sen (born ), was Second Officer of the Women’s Royal Indian Naval Service (WRINS), a section of the

Women's Auxiliary Corps (India) The Women's Auxiliary Corps (India) (WAC(I)) was created in March 1942, out of the Women's Auxiliary Service (Burma). By the end of the Second World War, it had recruited 11,500 women. Personnel Moina Imam, chief petty officer from Bihar, was amon ...

WAC(I). In 1945, she became the first Indian service woman to visit the UK. Sen was the daughter of the principal of the Mayo Arts College,

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city. ...

. In 1938 she gained a masters in English literature from the Punjab University before commencing studies for a masters in political science. As a student she performed in theatre and at one time played

Ophelia Ophelia () is a character in William Shakespeare's drama ''Hamlet'' (1599–1601). She is a young noblewoman of Denmark, the daughter of Polonius, sister of Laertes and potential wife of Prince Hamlet, who, due to Hamlet's actions, ends up in ...

in the play ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...

'', at a time when Indian women did not typically act on stage. Her success on stage led to her being sought out for cinema. In 1938, while a student at Punjab University, at a session of the All-India Inter-University Debate, she was announced as the best speaker after she spoke against the proposal that India should not contribute to future wars. That debate won her the gold medal and Punjab University the

Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee (anglicised, originally Asutosh Mukhopadhyay, also anglicised to Asutosh Mookerjee) (29 June 1864 – 25 May 1924) was a prolific Bengali educator, jurist, barrister and mathematician. He was the first student to be awar ...

trophy. In 1943, during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, Sen joined the WAC(I). The following year she received the

King's commission A commission is a formal document issued to appoint a named person to high office or as a Officer (armed forces)#Commission sources and training, commissioned officer in a territory's armed forces. A commission constitutes documentary authority ...

as Second Officer.

Early life and education

Kalyani Sen (née Gupta), affectionately known as 'Babli', was born around 1917, the only daughter of S. N. Gupta, an artist and the principal of the Mayo Arts College,

, and Mrs. Gupta, who later became a chief commander for the

WAC(I). Her grandfather was the journalist Nagendranath Gupta. She studied at

and Government College, both in Lahore. At the 13th annual exhibition of the Punjab Fine Arts Society in 1935, she was listed one of the prize winners. At Government College, she performed in open air theatre, and played

in the play ''

'', at a time when Indian women did not typically act on stage. Her success on stage led to her being sought out for cinema in then Calcutta. In 1938, she gained a masters in English literature from the Punjab University before commencing studies for a masters in political science. There, she took part in debates including arguing against the notion that "sport is not in the domain of women." In the same year at a session of the All-India Inter-University Debate, organised by the Calcutta University Law College union, she was announced as the best speaker after she spoke against the proposal "That India should be no party to future wars." That debate won her the gold medal and Punjab University the

trophy.

Second World War

In 1943, during the

, Sen joined the WAC(I). The following year she received the

as Second Officer. In 1945, now an officer for the Women’s Royal Indian Naval Service (WRINS), she became the first Indian service woman to visit the UK, at the age of 28. Along with Chief Officer Margaret I. Cooper and second officer Phyllis Cunningham, their purpose was to carry out a two month study of training and administration in the

Women's Royal Naval Service The Women's Royal Naval Service (WRNS; popularly and officially known as the Wrens) was the women's branch of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy. First formed in 1917 for the First World War, it was disbanded in 1919, then revived in 1939 at the ...

(WRNS), by visiting WRNS establishments across Britain. They arrived in the UK on 13 April of that year and attended a press conference that same day. Sen made broadcasts from the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...

in English and Bengali, and attended a ceremony at

Buckingham Palace Buckingham Palace () is a London royal residence and the administrative headquarters of the monarch of the United Kingdom. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is often at the centre of state occasions and royal hospitality. It ...

. She reported that "In India there is still a big prejudice against girls and women working with men… but the women are so keen to get into the Services that they are breaking it down." On 3 July 1945, they left the UK to return to India. At the time, her husband was serving with the

Indian Army The Indian Army is the land-based branch and the largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head is the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), who is a four- ...

in Burma.

Personal life

During her course in political science in 1939, she married Captain (later

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

)

Lionel Protip Sen Lieutenant-General Lionel Protip "Bogey" Sen DSO (20 October 1910 – 17 September 1981) was a decorated Indian Army general. He served as the Chief of the General Staff during 1959–1961 and commanded the Eastern Command during 1961–1963 ...

of the Baluch Regiment. Her first daughter, Radha, was born in 1941. In 1947, she gave birth to Mala. In 1953, her marriage to L. P. Sen ended in divorce.

Footnotes

References

External links

* . ''

The Better India The Better India News is an Indian digital media platform focused on positive stories. Background In 2015, The Better India got Rs 1 crore ( $160,000) funding. More recently in 2018, The Better India raised an undisclosed amount funding from t ...

'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Sen, Kalyana Kinnaird College for Women University alumni Government College University, Lahore alumni 1910s births University of the Punjab alumni Indian women in war Indian women of World War II Date of death missing