BENGALURU: In 1999, Nafees Fazal became the first woman from a minority community to hold a ministerial post in South India. In her new book Breaking Barriers, co-authored by Sandhya Mendonca, coming out on November 4, Fazal explores her remarkable life, from her troubled childhood, her tumultuous political journey, and her personal beliefs as a liberal and a devout Muslim.
Known as a bold politician who was unafraid to speak her mind, Fazal turned heads throughout her career. She says that her difficult childhood experiences helped shape her political ambitions.
“I was brought up by my grandparents till the age of six. My grandfather was the Sheriff of Madras at that time, and though he had such a noble post, he had a sadistic streak in him. He would ill-treat my grandmother, and my uncles did the same with their wives. All of this didn’t gel with me; it made me very angry. I wanted to make it on my own in a man’s world,” she explains adding that former prime minister Indira Gandhi served as a role model for her during her school days.
“In school, I would read the newspaper every day, and I would see pictures of Indira Gandhi with Nehru. I started to idolise her and decided that one day I would make it like Indira. I always strived to emulate her,” shares Fazal.
Fazal served two terms as a member of the Karnataka legislative council between 1994 and 2006. She was appointed as the Minister of Medical Education and Science and Technology in the S M Krishna-led Congress government.
But her political journey was rocky from the get-go. Facing opposition from members of her own community due to her outspoken nature, she says she had to make herself immune against the constant barrage of criticism and slander.
“The men of my own community didn’t want me in politics, because they felt I was too glamorous. But I refused to change the way I looked. They hated my guts because they thought I was too forthright, honest, and bold. So, they wanted me to go back home. But I had a mind of my own,” she explains.
Amid her struggles to make a mark in a male-dominated political system, Fazal says that her sole strength came from her husband, as her own family members were disapproving of her political ambitions. “When I joined politics, my husband was the only one in my family who supported me. But I proved my mettle,” says Fazal.
‘We helped make B’luru the Silicon Valley of India’
THE 75-year-old expresses pride talking about her stint as a Minister of Medical Education and Science and Technology. She believes the foundation that their government laid back then eventually helped Bengaluru achieve its stature as the hub of information technology in India.
“We put Bengaluru on the map and helped make it the Silicon Valley that you see today.
In my view, S M Krishna was a capable leader, but he couldn’t do much with such a short term,” says Fazal adding that the slow decline of the city’s infrastructure in recent years has been a pain to witness. Remarking on the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act, Fazal feels that the policy is draconian and unfair. “I’m totally against CAA. Why would you refuse only Muslims coming into the country as immigrants, while people of other faiths are accepted?” she questions.
She believes that Islam is inherently a very liberal religion, whose reputation has been tarnished by the actions of a few. As a liberal Muslim woman, Fazal expresses strong support for the proposed Uniform Civil Code, which aims to implement personal laws that apply to citizens regardless of their religion, gender, and sexual orientation.
In 2017, she quit Congress after the party refused to take a stand on the instant triple talaq controversy. Through her new book, which chronicles her political journey as a firebrand politician fighting for women’s and minority rights, she hopes that she can inspire the next generation to do the same. “I hope I’ll be able to inspire a generation of women and men to fight, face adversity and never give up. I broke every barrier conceivable. I want the world to learn from my experience,” she concludes.