TCN series on Muslim women empowerment
On International Women’s Day on 8th March, TCN is bringing great stories of Muslim women empowerment from different states of India — Editor
By Ilyaskhan Pathan, TwoCircles.net,
A first-time voter, she fought and won the Panchayat election thus became the youngest Sarpanch of Kankot of Vakaner taluka in Rajkot district in Gujarat. Afsana Mohammed Badi, 19, who has just qualified to vote and to participate in the world’s largest democracy persuaded 3000 voters and battered 2 other candidates to make the history. Afsana won the Panchayat election on 31st December 2011 by 51 votes.
Afsana Muhammad, the youngest Sarpanch in Gujarat
Confident Afsana told TCN: “I was extremely confident to win the election.” She dreamt of becoming a Sarpanch since her childhood. She has the good fortune to be born and brought up in the family of politicians. Her Father Mohammed Badi was the Sarpanch for 15 years and now the Head of Kankot Van Sanrakshan Samiti. Mother Amina Badi has also won the grampanchayat election.
Telling about her confident daughter, Mohammed Badi said, “When we took Afshana to submit nomination form she told the officer that she will surely win the election and offered them the sweet.”
Ninth class pass-out Afsana got emotional when she was invited for flag hoisting ceremony on this past Republic Day (26th January 2012) in her own alma mater JKT School. The first thing she did as a Sarpanch is to get the approval of six additional classrooms in JKT School.
Remembering her high school days she said, “I had to travel 5 Kilometers away from my village for the SMPH High School. “Even today Kankot doesn’t have a high school. I want to build a High School in my village and bring progress in the village” she pledged.
Afsana Muhammad with parents
Her teacher Ajay Singh Rana told TCN, “She used to tell me in her school days that she will not tolerate any indiscipline in the school after becoming Sarpanch of this village. Now she is. I am so proud that one of my students has become a sarpanch.”
Afsana, naturally, likes to get respect and invitation in different programmes but she still cooks and helps her mother in other domestic work. She said, “I take care of our cow without any hesitation.”
Admiring Congress president Sonia Gandhi Afsana also loves to see Heena Rabbani, foreign minister of Pakistan, on Television. She said, “I dream of becoming a Foreign Minister of India by looking at Heena Rabbani.”