Meet Iqra Hasan: SOAS alum making history as India's youngest female Muslim MP

SOAS alum Iqra Hasan Choudhary made history in Indian politics. BSc Economics student Shloka explores her inspiring journey and dedication to championing women's education and empowerment.

In the 2024 Indian general election, SOAS alum Iqra Hasan Choudhary, 29, made history as the youngest Muslim woman to be elected. Representing the Samajwadi Party, part of the opposition INDIA alliance, she defeated the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by a massive margin of 70 thousand votes, securing her seat as a Member of the Lok Sabha, India’s House of the People. She is also one of only 27 Muslim women ever to make it into Indian Parliament. 

I asked Dr Subir Sinha, Director of the SOAS South Asia Institute, what he thought about her election victory: "It should be a matter of pride for SOAS that one of its alumnae is now among the youngest Members of the Indian Parliament and that the progressive campaign she ran was on issues facing the people of her constituency, across caste, class, gender and religious divides." Following her appointment, here's a look at Iqra Hasan's inspiring journey from SOAS to the Lok Sabha.

Putting politics into practice

Before delving deeper into politics, Iqra Hasan was a practising lawyer. After receiving her LLB in India she studied MSc in International Politics and Law at SOAS, studying the political theories she had so far learned from observing at home. Coming from a political family, she made media headlines in 2019 when she took part in the anti-CAA protest in London. The Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) is widely considered discriminatory against the minority Muslim population of India. 

It should be a matter of pride for SOAS that one of its alumnae is now among the youngest Members of the Indian Parliament.

In an interview with The Wire, she said, “My master's was based on electoral reforms because, having grown up in a political family, I was always interested in the functioning of a democracy. My hypothesis and research were based on how the current electoral system promotes majoritarianism and how if a preferential voting system was implemented, it might reduce the instances of hate speech". She was set to do a PhD, having submitted her PhD proposal—a study of the first-past-the-post system of India’s parliamentary democracy—with no thought of joining politics.

During COVID-19, Iqra Hasan returned to her hometown of Kairana in 2021. Here, her grandfather, Chaudhary Akhtar Hasan, her father, Chaudhary Munawwar Hasan, and her mother, Begum Tabassum Hasan, have all served as MPs in Western Uttar Pradesh. In 2022, Iqra fell into politics campaigning for her brother Nahid Hasan, who was in jail while contesting the general assembly elections but still managed to win because of her help. She acknowledges her position as a dynast and the privilege of her position but hopes to use this privilege in a constructive manner. In the same interview, she adds, “Through my hard work, I hope to erase the fact that I am a dynast.”

Championing women’s education and empowerment

As a young MP, she positions herself as the daughter of the community. As one of the youngest female MPs and dedicated to social justice issues, Iqra Hasan brings a fresh, inclusive approach to Indian politics. She received votes from different sections of the constituency, seen as a uniting figure admired for her simplicity and her grassroots connection to her constituency.

Iqra Hasan's journey from SOAS to the Lok Sabha is a powerful narrative of determination and the power of education. 

In her maiden speech, she emphasised the need for policy reforms prioritising her commitment to education for women. She described her approach in an interview with the Hindustan Times, “I also had one advantage as a woman. Kairana is quite patriarchal, and at rallies and meetings, you never meet women. So, I would make it a point to go inside their homes and listen to what women had to say. Male politicians don’t do that.” She plans to raise the issue of female education in parliament to ensure “every girl has the opportunity to pursue higher education in a supportive environment." 

Iqra Hasan's journey from SOAS to the Lok Sabha is a powerful narrative of determination and the power of education. Her story underscores the importance of representation in politics and the impact of informed, compassionate leadership. As she continues to advocate for her constituents and champion progressive causes, Iqra inspires young people, especially women, to believe in their potential to effect meaningful change in their communities and beyond.

Image credit: Sachin96700 via Wikipedia Commons.

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