‘I have become a strategic feminist’
The Samajwadi Party candidate from Kairana says she has created su cient grounds for change, but has had to navigate her way through a very patriarchal society without jarring the people
t 27, Iqra Hasan is one of the youngest candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. A post-graduate in International Law from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, Ms. Hasan is contesting from her family turf, Kairana in western Uttar Pradesh, on the Samajwadi Party ticket as part of the Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Forced into politics by circumstances, Ms. Hasan, the daughter of two-time MP and two-time MLA, late Munawwar Hasan, has won praise for her political sagacity.
“I have not taken a vacation for the past two years. It is a 24◣7 job,” she says in an interview with The Hindu. Excerpts:
AHow did you enter politics?
I had campaigned in 2015 for my mother. After postgraduation, I had to return in 2021 because of COVID-19. Around the same time my mother and brother had to abscond. Suddenly, I had to take control of everything. Before the 2022 Assembly polls, my brother was arrested. I became the face of the campaign. People were very sympathetic and it was a collective victory.
How did you apply your theoretical knowledge on political ground?
The ground reality is very dierent. We read caste politics is bad but here you can’t get away from it. I am a feminist but I work in a very patriarchal society. I have to nd my way into it so that it is not jarring for people. I can say I have become a strategic feminist (laughs). I always cover my head now...something I didn’t do earlier. I have explained to myself that my clothes are not that important, what I say and do is vital.
Can you elaborate?
Kairana is not new to women politicians. From Gayatri Devi to my mother and Mriganka Singh, the area has elected female representatives. But there was always a tag of bechari (helpless) attached to it. For instance, my mother was a widow, so she was called a bechari. When you enter there is a lot of resistance. To break that you have to play up to the image. Then it depends on how you utilise the access to people’s faith.
The Prime Minister recently said Muslim women would remember him for abolishing instant triple talaq.
In instant triple talaq, the BJP government penalised something that was civil in nature. When you send the man to jail, the wife doesn’t get maintenance. Also, I often nd that the BJP leaders and a section of the media deliberately mix the concept of triple talaq with instant triple talaq. Instant triple talaq is morally wrong. I don’t support it in any way and it is not even an acceptable form of divorce in Islam.
The exodus issue is being whipped up again though not as feverishly as in the past.
Some families moved out of Kairana when their businesses grew. Of course, there is crime in the region but holding one community responsible for it is communalising a problem.
You would agree that only two families have ruled Kairana politically, the Munawwar Hasan family and the Hukum Singh family.
I would say as politically privileged women, if we get a seat at the table, a responsibility to create space for others falls on our shoulders.
How are you engaging with Jat farmers after Chaudhary Jayant Singh’s exit from alliance?
Chaudhary Ajit Singh gave ticket for the rst time to my father. But Jayantji’s alliance with the BJP came as a big surprise.
Farmer issues are still not resolved and the BJP continues to be perceived as anti-farmer here. I agree he will get a large chunk of Jat vote but we will also get 20-30%