Practising ‘strategic feminism’ in the hotbed of patriarchy in Uttar Pradesh

Iqra Hasan, 27, is contesting from her family turf in Kairana constituency in western Uttar Pradesh on the Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket as part of the  Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). ‘ I am a feminist but I work in a very patriarchal society. So, I have to find my way into it so that it is not jarring for people. I can say I have become a strategic feminist,’ she says.

At 27, Iqra Hasan is one of the youngest candidates in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. A post graduate in International Law from the University of London School of Oriental and African Studies, Ms. Iqra Hasan is contesting from her family turf in Kairana constituency in western Uttar Pradesh on the Samajwadi Party (SP) ticket as part of the  Indian National Developmental, Inclusive Alliance (INDIA). Once known as the source of Kirana Gharana of Hindustani Classical music, over the years, Kairana has lost its character and is now known for its high crime rate and farmer agitation.

The constituency is politically dominated by two Gurjar families, Hindu and Muslim. Ms. Iqra Hasan is the daughter of two-time MP and two-time MLA late Munawwar Hasan. Circumstances forced her into politics after her mother Tabassum Hasan, a former MP from Kairana and brother Nahid, a three-time MLA from the constituency, absconded after Uttar Pradesh Police charged Mr. Nahid with traffic violation and misbehaviour with government officials. The family has described it as political vendetta unleashed by the BJP government, at the behest of BJP stalwart late Hukum Singh’s family, to finish it politically. Mr. Nahid later surrendered and is now out on bail.

Ms. Iqra Hasan learnt the new trade in quick time and has won praise for her modesty and political sagacity across party lines. Giving the sitting BJP MP Pradeep Chaudhary a tough time at the hustings, local political observers say Ms. Iqra Hasan, with her secular oulook, grasp over local customs and constant presence among people, clearly has started with an edge on a seat that the BJP has been milking for alleged ‘palayan’ (exodus) of Hindu families.

“I have not taken a vacation for the past two years. I go to Delhi only for a day or two. It is a 24X7 job. People ask me about development works but what people here want is me being there in their celebration and mourning,” says Ms. Iqra Hasan in an interview with The Hindu.

Edited excerpts: