Our fellow from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh Ruqiyya

has a mission in life of reaching out to the most underprivileged section that is women from the dalit, obc and Muslim communities.

She has worked voluntarily for many social organisations and became a social worker while still in school for which she won many accolades for her service.

She was raised in a very politically conscious and active family.

Her family participated in CAA and NRC protests. Her father was wrongfully arrested and her brother who was just in high school was detained.

She herself suffered physical violence at the hands of police during lathi charges. The family suffered financially but she didn't give up and completed her.

“We were a family of 8 siblings and it was difficult for us all to study while our father was in prison, my younger brother who was detained and beaten had to take a break from studies due to the severity of his injury.”

education with a BSC degree and now wants to apply for post-graduation.

She thought of applying for Indira Fellowship as she is influenced by the ideology of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. She says “I see him as an inspiration for youth today and feel his thinking is in line with my dreams for India.”

Her goal is to utilize this platform to begin a grass root struggle for women empowerment.

She wants to bring in a change in society by ending religious discrimination, removing untouchability and wants to make women instruments to bring about this change. However she wants to bring change first in her own community as Muslim women according to her are one of the most vulnerable and neglected groups in society.

With the help of her Shakti Clubs she creates awareness about 5 Nari Nyays. She wants women to be active citizens who make demands from the state including rights to basic amenities like water, electricity etc as well as better access to health and education. “I want women to be fearless and raise their demands to the local municipalities which have failed to give people basic amenities. People who are the most marginalized are unable to use any facilities that they can rightfully claim. Today politics, is surrounded by distribution of freebies before elections and after elections the elected representatives forget about the public.”

She engaged extensively with Dalit women, Muslim women and women of other deprived sections of SC ST OBC.