Muslim Women Legislators and the Legislative Politics of Muslim Minority Issues (1952-1974)

Abstract

This paper examines the voices of Muslim women legislators in the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly between 1952 and 1974 through seven assembly debates from the first, third, and fifth legislative terms. Focusing on Safia Abdul Wajid, Kishwar Ara, Begum Aijaz Rasul, and Hamida Habibullah, it analyses their engagements on minority-related issues such as cow slaughter, Urdu, communal violence, and the closure of Aligarh Muslim University. The paper shows how these women intervened selectively in legislative debates, at times confronting male legislators and at other moments finding alignment and support, while drawing on constitutional principles to articulate minority concerns. By highlighting these often-overlooked interventions, the study sheds light on the challenges of representation, negotiation, and coexistence within the Assembly during a period of significant post-Partition political change.