Remembering Begum Aizaz Rasul on the 73rd Republic Day

 

Rutba Iqbal / Awaz e Khwateen

A trailblazer, Begum Qudsia Aizaz, was the only Muslim woman in the Constituent Assembly that drafted the Constitution of India.

The royal upbringing:

Aizaz was born in the royal family of Maler Kotla, a Muslim state in current day Punjab, in the early 20th century to Sir Zulfiqar. She ran in elite social, political and intellectual circles. Rasul, from a young age, accompanied her father to various political meetings, even working as his secretary. Later she married a Talukdar (landowner) of the former princely state of Oudh, Nawaab Aizaz Rasul. Despite her family background, she was known for her anti-feudal stance and strong support for zamindari abolition. She was committed to the abolition of the Zamindari System and became a Member of the "Tenancy Reform Committee'' In 1939. When the bill was put up for discussion, she advocated more rights for farmers. More than 1,000 amendments were made to the bill whereby more hereditary rights were given to the tenants.

 

The pioneering politician:

Begum Rasul won her first election from the non-reserved seat and became a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council. It was a major feat in those times especially in a political system explicitly reserved for males. She was the first woman in India and the first Muslim woman in the world to become the Leader of Opposition and the Deputy President of the Council.

Begum Aizaz Rasul was instrumental in creating a consensus among Muslim leadership to give up the demand for reserved seats for religious minorities, terming it counterproductive and 'self-destructive'. She adds, “To my mind, reservation is a self-destructive weapon which separates the minorities from the majority for all time. It gives no chance to the minorities to win the goodwill of the majority. It keeps up the spirit of separatism and communalism alive which should be done away once and for all”

 

Fight for linguistic rights:

Rasul took a strong position in support of linguistic rights to safeguard the interests of Muslims.

"Any minority residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a distinct language and script shall be entitled to have primary education imparted to its children through the medium of that language and script’'. 

 

She wanted Urdu to be recognised as a ‘secular language’ before Independence. Despite her inability to gather support for Urdu, Rasul remained a committed advocate for the cause. As the chairperson of the Minorities Commission in Uttar Pradesh (1979–89), Rasul pushed for proposals demanding the appointment of Urdu teachers, additional loan grants for junior high schools, and coaching classes for Muslim students

Despite many challenges, she stood by her opinions and beliefs. Once a fatwa was issued by an ulema against her on the grounds that it was ‘un-Islamic’ to vote for a non-purdah Muslim woman. However, the fatwa had little effect and she didn't surrender to such demands.

 

A doyenne:

Rasul penned her autobiography titled 'From Purdah to Parliament'. She chronicles her journey as a Muslim woman navigating through complex overlapping identities in the Indian political and constitutional space.