Najma: A Star Crossed

Najma Heptullah has been a 'People before Party' person with her defection and affiliations not guiding her work, but rather a spirit of goodwill

In Picture: Najma Heptullah; Source: Sentinelassam

On 13 April 1940 was born Najma Akbar Ali Heptulla as Sayyida Najma bint Yusuf. Born and brought up in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, the Indian politician, and activist has a doctorate degree from Vikram University, Ujjain. She married Akbar Ali Akhtar Heptulla, who was conducive in the Patriot's founding.

An Inspiration Based Marriage Into Politics

Although her degree was in Zoology, Najma joined Politics in 1980, inspired by Indira Gandhi. One can trace her roots in politics and social activism back to her uncle, Abdul Kalam Azad, an ardent supporter and diligent activist of the Indian Independence movement and the first chairperson of the Indian Council of Cultural Relations.

Come 1996, she contested for a seat in the Rajya Sabha. She did it from the state of Maharashtra and won. Her victory wasn't short-lived, and she was re-elected five more times until 2012.

An Affair for Fulfilment

Najma had a long marriage with Congress and served as its general secretary from 1986-87, and as the party spokesperson twice.

However, during the National Democratic Alliance coalition, Najma grew closer to the Bhartiya Janata Party. This affair became solidified and out in the open in 2004 when Heptullah resigned and joined the BJP.

She also explained one of the reasons for resignation to be a tense situation with the leadership of the party. She won a seat from the state of Rajasthan in the Rajya Sabha.

Taking Care of What's Important

Najma's party affiliation, however, did not affect her work and diligence. During her time in Congress, she was a delegate on the Executive Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union from 1995 until 1999. And in the latter year, Heptullah became its president. Her work is about people, and it was evident when the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) designated her as a Human Development Ambassador. In 1997, this seed turned into a fruit of leadership as she headed the UN Commission on Status of Women. Najma was given the responsibility for heading the Indian Council for Cultural Relations by the NDA government. It's only an assumption, but Abdul Kalam Azad must be smiling in his grave, seeing his family preserving what he founded. Even so, she had to step down as its head when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance came into power. Moreover, a fake photo with Abdul Kalam Azad morphed in a picture with her after his death in ICCR's upcoming publication did not help her case either. So much for the smiles in the grave. In 2007, she lost to the opposition for the election of Vice-President.

There were many ups and downs faced by Heptullah because of the leadership in governance, but that didn't stop her growth. She quickly rose in ranks in the BJP and was the party's Vice-President in 2010.

Again, in 2013, she faced a slump when she was dropped as BJP vice-president but the very next year, with the BJP's victory in Lok Sabha Elections, Najma found herself as the cabinet minister of minority affairs. Two years after, in 2016, she left the post and was appointed as Manipur's governor.

Najma Heptullah has been a strong advocate of the people, especially women. She has extensively written and edited publications on reforms for women, social security, and Indo-western relations.