Karnataka’s first woman MLC breaking more barriers

Falah Faisal | NT

Bengaluru: Described by everyone as a feisty woman, Nafees Fazal rose through the ranks in politics when liberal Muslim women were almost unheard of. Idolizing Indira Gandhi from the age of 13, she didn’t emulate her but she did win her admiration.

She has finally penned a tell-all book about her journey in politics called ‘Breaking Barriers: The Story of a Liberal Muslim Woman’s Passage in Indian Politics'. The book was launched at the Four Seasons hotel on her 75th birthday with former Karnataka chief minister SM Krishna as the chief guest.

During the launch he said, “I was a little concerned about what Nafees might write because she is very unpredictable. I have known her since 1985 and in that time she has become very good friends with my wife too.” Nafees was made an MLC by Krishna in 2002 when he gave her the Medical Education Ministry in his cabinet.

Things were not always hunky dory though and controversy always followed her everywhere she went. Krishna in fact asked for her resignation when he heard a rumour that she was once dancing in the West End Hotel. “She came home and she and my wife gave me a thoughtful reply so I tore her resignation letter and allotted her the Science and Technology Ministry portfolio, something she excelled at,” said Krishna.

Having spent five decades in politics she did spend some time behind bars. “A Muslim boy was killed in Shivajinagar by a subinspector who tormented the minorities and they wouldn’t even let the family have the body. I was called to calm the angry mob and I began by saying ‘Takbeer’ and the mob responded by saying ‘Allahu Akbar’.

The inspector thought it was a war cry and the next thing I knew tear gas and rubber bullets were flying everywhere and I was in custody for inciting the mob,” she explained. The incident was brought to the attention of Indira Gandhi who said more Liberal Muslims like her needed to be brought to the mainstream.

Her traumatic childhood shaped her life considerably and she never got over her abusive father, grandfather, and mother-in-law, but her husband believes it trained her for a life in politics. “When Hassan was wooing me before marriage I put three conditions – that he must learn ballroom dancing, learn to eat Chinese food because it was my favourite, and let me enter politics.

He asked to hold on to the latter after 13 years of marriage at the age of 30, I threw in my hat,” said the 75-year-old politician who is in her second stint in Congress after having quit the party after having a falling out with Rahul Gandhi. She hopes her book will inspire more young women to follow in her footsteps and become active in politics.