Life in danger for stepping into male domain
Shiv Charan Singh, Hindustan Times
January 25, 2008
http://hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=cd85f71d-13a5-4b7a-86d7-1757f7e99925

Nazia Tabassum, a history (honours) student from Maulana Azad College, who shot to limelight after her election to Joint Secretary's post of the Ranchi University Students' Union (RUSU) in December 2007, now fears for her life, at the hands of the Anjuman Islamia, a social educational body of the Muslims.

A group from the Anjuman Islamia, Nazia alleged, stormed into her house on January 22 and threatened her with dire consequences if she did not withdraw her claim to contest Anjuman elections slated for January 27 and the case she had filed with the State Commission for Women (SCW) in this connection.

Nazia had recently stirred the hornets' nest by seeking her candidature for the Anjuman polls — so far an exclusive male bastion. Her claim was strongly opposed by the Anjuman officials, following which Nazia approached the SCW with a copy of Anjuman by-laws.

The commission had scheduled the hearing on January 22, but the Anjuman officials failed to turn up. The SCW heard the matter on Thursday and fixed the next hearing on Friday. “As I sense threat from them I have written to the SSP to provide us security,” she said. When contacted, SSP MS Bhatia expressed his ignorance about Nazia’s application. “I will check if her application is lying with my office,” he said.

Meanwhile, elections convenor of Anjuman, Md Nisar Agarbati, said that in 50 years of the Muslim body’s existence no woman had been allowed to contest the polls as per “our statutes”. “We will contest her claims at the SWC hearing,” he added.

Haji Md Nesar, president of Anjuman Islamia refused to comment on her claim to contest the Anjuman Islamia polls.