‘Indianness is not the prerogative of a few political organisations’
Pulkit Vasudha
LAST year, several Muslim women’s organisations from across the country came together under an umbrella organisation, the Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan. The unique initiative demands equal status for Muslim women in society, rejects everything unconstitutional and forms a democratic, secular organisation for liberal and progressive thought and action. Zakia Jowher, the woman behind the Andolan, speaks to correspondent Pulkit Vasudha in a freewheeling interview.
Q: How did the idea of a Muslim women’s collective come about?
A: When I was working among riot-affected families, I realised that the number of Muslim women turning up for any demonstration or relief-related activity was far greater than the number of men. Even burkha-clad women were taking to the streets to fight for their rights and were very vocal about it. T
here has always been a void in civil society for democratic, secular and progressive-thinking leadership from among Muslim women. After over a year-and-a-half of brainstorming with other small organisations working in different parts of the country, we came up with the idea of Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan.
Q: There is a story behind the organisation’s nomenclature…
A: Every word is loaded. We needed to stress the three primary identities we possess _ Bhartiya, Muslim and mahila, with our Indianness being the primary one. We believe that Indianness is not the prerogative of a few political organisations, and we must rescue it from those who have misappropriated the term ‘Bhartiya’.
We are as much citizens of this country as anyone else, and we demand our right as equal citizens of India. Secondly, we believe that religion is a matter of personal choice but the time has come for us to unhesitatingly, fearlessly declare ourselves as Muslim. We are 13.7 per cent of the population – the largest minority community in the country. Thirdly, we had to reiterate our status as women to be able to stand up against patriarchy that has oppressed us for years.
The term ‘andolan’ came to be used because we are more than just another non-governmental organisation. No NGO, however big it may be, can claim to encompass all Muslim women of our country. What we sought to bring about was no less than a revolution, and we are very positive we will achieve that.
Q: What is the significance of an ‘andolan’?
A: Muslim women are marginalised at multiple levels _ socially, economically, and politically. We, however, are not looking at women’s issues in isolation. There has to be a holistic approach and we must target the well-being of the community at large. Since the Sachar Committee report acknowledged that even after 60 years of Independence, Muslims in the country are lagging behind in all human development indices, there has been a huge shift in societal and individual outlooks. In fact, our primary mission at the moment is to disseminate the findings of the Sachar Committee report and demand its implementation.
Q: How has the Bhartiya Muslim Mahila Andolan grown in the last one year?
A: When I first thought of a pan-India organisation, I never thought it could become so big! We now have 3,000 members from 12 states. Surprisingly, we have received tremendous support from all quarters of the society, government and the Muslim fraternity. In fact, even some men have become a part of the organisation. We are not averse to anyone from any community joining us. Even some Muslim clerics have extended their support to us. In Jaipur, for instance, women from our organisation insisted on offering the namaz in a mosque and were allowed to do so without any resistance. In November, we shall complete one year and decide on our agenda for the future.
Source: Indian Express