Remembering the Dynamic Begum Zafar Ali on World Teachers' Day
Giving the best education to their child is one of the foremost goals of present day parenting. In most Indian households be it a girl or a boy, parents spend thousands trying to get their children the best education and teachers. Such was not the scenario of girl's education in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir. Girl's schools were confined to reading moral books. Training them in needle work, household work etc was the major goal. The definition of education for women was restricted to the home, to having mastery in domestic tasks. Their education was a tool to make them docile and fit for subservience.
Begum Zafar Ali was a visionary who passionately campaigned for girl's education and mobilized mass support for the cause in the Princely State of Jammu and Kashmir. Her efforts changed the landscape and brought girl's education to the forefront.
As 5 October is celebrated as World Teachers' Day, as proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1994, we commemorate the journey of Begum Zafar Ali. She was an educationist, a changemaker and a social worker. Above all she was a fierce and compassionate teacher at heart.
Female educators have enlightened and uplifted students throughout the history of mankind. They bring a level of empathy and understanding to the profession. Such is the story of Begum Zafar Ali, who is one of the greatest teachers of all time. Her maiden name was Syyeda Fatima Hussain. She came from a rich legacy where education was given the foremost priority. Her father Khan Bahadur Aga Syed Hussain Thakur was the Home and Judicial Minister during Maharaja Hari Singh's rule. Her passion for education was encouraged by her parents. Her teaching days started at the Girls' Mission High School(present day Mallinson Girls School) in 1925. It was during this time she took up the cause of girl education and began working towards it.
Her love for education pushed her to pursue further studies and she became the First Woman Matriculate of Kashmir. After breaking this glass ceiling and receiving a gold medal for the same, there was no stopping her ambitions.
She had a knack for leadership and her vision was very farsighted. She served as Head Mistress for several different schools in the Valley. Begum Zafar Ali propelled the cause of women's rights. She did not sit inside her office on a plush sofa. Begum Zafar Ali went door to door to raise awareness about girl's education, she believed education to be the most important tool for women's emancipation. Her invigorating efforts were recognised and she was appointed as Inspector of Schools in Kashmir.
Begum was a huge believer in making change on the ground, she introduced mid-day meals in schools to focus on the nutrition of children and decrease the dropout rates. Begum Zafar Ali was a dynamic lady and started important conversations about women's rights through the Teacher's Club. Her fervor for women empowerment and emancipation led her to All India Women's Conference, where she served as Secretary before independence. She was also a member of the J&K Legislative Assembly from 1977 to 1982, where she continued to use her voice to further the cause of women’s rights.
Begum Zafar Ali has left behind a rich legacy that forces us to work further under the light of her ideals. She was the recipient of Padma Shree. Begum Zafar Ali has been immortalized by her work and by her grandson Agha Shahid Ali, an award-winning Kashmiri-American poet, who wrote a poem in her memory which was included in the collection The Veiled Suite: The Collected Poems.
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