Mala Sen

Mala Sen was a human rights activist and author who worked on housing security, labor rights, and race relations in London in the 1960s and 70s.

After Sen moved to London from Mumbai, she began advocating for the rights of Bengali factory workers. They worked and lived in squalid conditions, often sharing rented rooms and beds with other workers, sleeping in shifts.

Sen used her membership in the Race Today Collective to raise awareness of the conditions immigrants were experiencing. She co-founded the Bengali Housing Action Group which was responsible for creating a safe living area for Bangladeshis on Brick Lane in London's East End. She was also a member of the British Black Panthers.

Sen later moved back to India and researched and wrote about women's issues. During that time, she learned of Phoolan Devi, dubbed the "bandit queen," and wrote a book about Devi's life.