Safia Abdul Wajid, also known as

Begum Begum (also begüm, bagum, begom, begam, baigum or beygum) is an honorific title from Central Asia, Central and South Asia, often used by leading women in society, including Royal family, royals, aristocrats, first lady, first ladies and prime ...

Abdul Wajid, was an Indian educator,

political activist A political movement is a collective attempt by a group of people to change government policy or social values. Political movements are usually in opposition to an element of the status quo, and are often associated with a certain ideology. Some ...

and an elected representative in the State Assembly of Uttar Pradesh (UP)."1952 UP Election Results" Election Commission of India website
/ref> She became an active participant in the

Indian independence movement The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events in South Asia with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British colonial rule. It lasted until 1947, when the Indian Independence Act 1947 was passed. The first nationalistic ...

after quitting her position as a Mathematics lecturer at a government institution during the 1942 Quit India Movement to protest

British rule The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule in India, * * * * or dire ...

. She was elected to the

Moradabad Moradabad () is an industrial city, commissionerate, and municipal corporation in Moradabad district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is situated on the banks of the Ramganga river, at a distance of from the national capital, New Del ...

(North-East) constituency of the United Provinces Legislative Assembly, having contested as a 'Nationalist Muslim' candidate in the

1946 Indian provincial elections Provincial elections were held in British India in January 1946 to elect members of the legislative councils of the Indian provinces. The Congress, in a repeat of the 1937 elections, won (90%) of the general non-Muslim seats while the Muslim ...

. Post-independence, she remained active in politics and served as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the

Bareilly Bareilly () is a city in Bareilly district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is among the largest metropolises in Western Uttar Pradesh and is the centre of the Bareilly division as well as the historical region of Rohilkhand. The city ...

East constituency of

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

, having won the election to the seat in 1952 (1st Uttar Pradesh Assembly). She was one of the first female members ( MLA) of a State Legislative Assembly in independent India and, thus far, one of the few Muslim women to be elected to the UP State Assembly. She was married to Maulvi Abdul Wajid, an advocate and freedom fighter himself, who was elected to the

Rohilkhand Rohilkhand (today Bareilly, Moradabad, Badaun and Rampur; ) is a region in the northwestern part of Uttar Pradesh, India, that is centered on the Bareilly and Moradabad divisions. It is part of the upper Ganges Plain, and is named after the ...

and Kumaun Divisions constituency in 1938 and was subsequently imprisoned by the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

in 1941 for his role in the

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Safia Abdul Wajid Year of birth missing Indian activists Indian politicians Women members of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly Women in Uttar Pradesh politics 20th-century Indian women politicians Women Indian independence activists Indian independence activists

See also

References