Prof. (Dr.) Dharmakanta Kumbhakar
(The writer can be reached at drkdharmakanta@yahoo.com)
It was very interesting to see in the last Assembly election in Assam that the Muslim women crossed their male counterparts by a huge margin in casting their votes in most of the Muslim-populated Legislative Assembly Constituencies (LACs) like Dhubri, Mancachar, Jaleswar, Abhayapuri South, Dalgaon, Barpeta, etc. Though the Muslim women are now in a position to take a leading role as voters in the elections of Assam, their participation in Assam’s active politics is still negligible. Very few Muslim women are playing any important role in Assam’s active politics.
As per the Census 2011 (there is no 2021 Census of India because the census was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has not yet been conducted), the Muslims constitute 34.2% of the entire population of Assam. The women constitute 48.82% of the entire population of Assam. Since the women’s population is almost equal to the men’s population, it may be assumed that half of the 34.2%, or 17%, would be Muslim women in Assam. But their representation in Assam’s active politics hardly reflects their percentage in the population.
Though the average percentage of women’s representation in both Houses of Parliament, Assemblies and Council of Ministers taken together has been around 15% in India, the representation of Muslim women of Assam in the present Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State Assembly is nil. If the Muslim women were represented according to their proportion of the population of Assam, there would have been at least 21 MLAs in the State Assembly (out of 126 MLAs), two MPs in the Lok Sabha (out of 14 MPs) and one MP in the Rajya Sabha (out of seven MPs). Today, the 33% reservation for women at the Panchayat and local body level has increased Assamese women’s representation in the Panchayats and local bodies, but due to low active political participation and representation of Muslim women, Assam reflects a low representation of them in the Panchayats and local bodies also.
The representation of Assam’s Muslim women in the Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha and State Assembly has always been very low since independence. The first and only Muslim woman MP from Assam in the Lok Sabha was Begum Mofida Ahmed in 1957 from the Jorhat Parliamentary Constituency. Sayeda Anowara Taimur and Naznin Farooqui were the only Muslim women members from Assam in the Rajya Sabha. The late Begum Aafia Ahmed became the first Muslim woman MLA of Assam in 1967 from the Jamunamukh LAC, and Anowara Taimur became the second in 1972 from the Dalgaon LAC. Taimur continued to be the only female Muslim MLA of Assam till 1996 by winning the Assembly elections in 1977, 1978, 1983 and 1991. Taimur created history by becoming the only female and Muslim Chief Minister of Assam from December 6, 1980, to June 30, 1981. She again became a Cabinet member and Minister of Agriculture of Assam in 1991. In 2001, Husnewara Islam became MLA from the Mancachar LAC and Sharifa Begum from the Rupohihat LAC. Begum Gulakhtara became the only Muslim woman MLA in 2011 from the East Bilashipara LAC. The number of Muslim women MLAs in the 2006 and 2016 Assam Legislative Assemblies was nil.
Most of the political parties do not groom Muslim women towards power. They feel hesitant towards Muslim women’s candidature. The Muslim women are allowed only if there is no alternative choice. They are considered only if there is a mandatory provision like reservation. The space has been limited to family connections rather than convictions and commitment. Begum Mofida Ahmed and Begum Aafia Ahmed belonged to elite Assamese Muslim families of upper Assam and could find their position in the political sphere due to family legacy. Husnewara Islam was the widow of ex-Congress MLA Zahirul Islam, and Sharifa Begum was the daughter of ex-Congress MLA Dr Muhammed Idris. Both the Muslim women could penetrate into the state politics due to the sphere created by their male family members.
The Muslim women of Assam have been unable to occupy major positions in the political parties, except for one or two. Their participation in informal political activities like demonstrations, mobilisations and other similar activities is much encouraged by every political party in Assam. Though the BJP and Congress are the largest national political parties, their Muslim woman affiliation in Assam is negligible. A few political parties live on Muslim votes and die for Muslim votes but shy away from making Muslim women visible in their parties. In 2006, AIUDF appeared in state politics with a new hope of participation in active politics for the Muslims but not for Muslim women. In 2006, AIUDF contested in 65 LACs and won 10, but they didn’t nominate any Muslim female candidates. In 2011, AIUDF nominated only two Muslim women, Begum Gulakhtara in East Bilashipara LAC and Jahida Sultana Sarkar in Samoguri LAC. In the last parliamentary election in 2024, none of the major political parties nominated a single Muslim female candidate in Assam. In the latest Assam’s Assembly election in 2021 also, none of the major political parties nominated any Muslim female candidate in any winnable LAC.
Student politics is an important feature in Assam politics. While ASSU has produced few Muslim political leaders, the All Assam Minority Students Union (AMSU) has produced about 50% of the future Muslim political leaders in Assam. The AMSU plays an important role in nurturing Muslim leaders, but they too are shy of doing the same for the female Muslim leaders. It pays little attention to Muslim women’s participation in active politics.
In general, the Muslim women are among the poorest, educationally disenfranchised, economically vulnerable, and politically marginalized groups in Assam. The lack of importance of the political parties, negative attitude of political leaders, lack of opportunity, low female literacy, low level of awareness, economic inequality, reinforcement of cultural stereotypes, burden of domestic work and lack of proper training have barred a Muslim woman of Assam from taking an active part in mainstream politics despite having an interest in it. The low number of successful Muslim female politicians in Assam also clearly reflects that common people are not in favour of bringing Muslim women into active politics.
Scanty involvement of the Muslim women in the election process has kept them marginalized in power politics. They should be in a greater number in power politics so that they can address the issues concerning them. The Indian Constitution ensures the people’s right to participate in politics without any distinctions. The channels to enter into Parliament or Assembly are the same for all. The election is the instrument the people play in a democratic country through which they can participate in the decision-making process of the government. With active participation in the elections as competitors or voters, the Muslim women of Assam can enter into power politics and can bring fair and equal treatment for all.