Begum Nuzrath Jahan from Kozhikode in Kerala has always ploughed a different furrow from her peers or other members of her aristocratic and orthodox Muslim family. She has been a voracious reader, especially of Indian and Western classics. On Monday, she will be one of the chosen few (elected by the merciful Allah, in her own words) to witness the consecration of the Ram Lalla statue at Ayodhya.
“Lord Ram is my God too, and I adore Prabhu and Maa Sita,” said Nuzrath Jahan over the phone from Ayodhya, where she arrived on Saturday evening. She met many famous saints and monks before reaching Ram Nagari. “This is the rarest of rare occasions in my life. Allah has not forbidden anybody from worshiping Lord Rama,” she said
Nuzrath Jahan is a familiar face in Kerala’s intellectual circles, advocating for equal rights for women in all spheres of life. She is credited as the chief organiser of a series of seminars held across the State, demanding the introduction of a Uniform Civil Code and equal rights for women in property inheritance.
“I do not seek any special consideration for Muslim women. Instead, they should have equal opportunities and status as men. The Muslim laws followed in India are discriminatory against women and need to be abolished,” said Nuzrath Jahan, a former aviation expert.
She is an ardent supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “The abolition of the Triple Talaq system and the abrogation of Article 370 are landmark events that define the Modi regime. The Prime Minister is on a mission to establish a society where all Indians have equal rights and status. He is a unique leader, and I consider him the best Prime Minister India has ever had,” she explained.
When asked whether her support for the Prime Minister goes against the stance of her community, she retorted: “I don’t know if Muslims have a standalone view towards the Prime Minister. But everything he has done since becoming the Prime Minister has been aimed at elevating the status of Muslim women. Those who want Muslim women to be eternal slaves may not like him, but that is their fate,” said Nuzrath Jahan.
