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Begum Abida Ahmed

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Begum Abida Ahmed
First Lady of India
In role
24 August 1974 – 11 February 1977
PresidentFakhruddin Ali Ahmed
Prime MinisterIndira Gandhi
Vice PresidentGopal Swarup Pathak
B.D. Jatti
Preceded bySaraswati Bai
Succeeded bySangamma Jatti
Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha
In office
1981–1989
Preceded byMisaryar Khan
Succeeded bySantosh Gangwar
ConstituencyBareilly
Personal details
Born17 July 1923
Badaun district, United Provinces, British India
Died7 December 2003 (aged 80)
New Delhi, India
Political partyIndian National Congress
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1945; died 1977)​
Children3
EducationAligarh Muslim University
President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and First Lady Begum Abida Ahmed

Begum Abida Ahmed (17 July 1923 – 7 December 2003) was an Indian politician, artist, and social activist, notable for her role as the First Lady of India from 1974 to 1977 and later as a Member of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, representing the Bareilly parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh. Abida Ahmed was also the wife of Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, the fifth President of India, serving from 1974 until his death in 1977.

Early life

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Begum Abida Ahmed was born on 17 July 1923 in Sheikhupur, Badaun, Uttar Pradesh. She grew up in a politically engaged environment, which shaped her future interests in public service and activism.

She pursued her education at the Women's College, Aligarh and the Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh.[1] There she excelled academically and demonstrated an interest in national and international affairs. Her early exposure to politics and social issues inspired her to pursue a career in public life.

She married her husband Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on 9 November 1945.[2][3] Their marriage was arranged while Ali Ahmed was in prison and Abida Ahmed in college.[4]

In 1957 Abida Ahmed traveled with her husband and relocated to New York City as part of her husbands assignment to the United Nations.[5] She also accompanied Pat Nixon while she and her husband were on a state visit to India.[6][7]

Career

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First Lady of India

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Begum is credited with having overhauled the presidential kitchen and ensuring Awadhi cuisine was included in its repertoire.[8][9][10] Additionally she worked at redecorating the rooms and upholstery of the Rashtrapati Bhavan and aided in designing the surrounding landscaping.[11][12] She also organized events and gatherings involving the Rashtrapati Bhavan.[13] Her husband died while in office in 1977 marking the end of her role as first lady.[14]

Member of Parliament

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In 1979 while attempting to file her paperwork for the 1980 election Ahmed was stopped by protesters surrounding her home in an attempt to prevent her and other women from filing election paperwork.[15][16][17] As the police attempted to break up the protest two people died.[18] Her paperwork was later smuggled out of her home by one of her supporters with a police escort.[19][20]

In 1980, she was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha, serving Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh as a member of the Indian National Congress. She was re-elected in 1984 to the 8th Lok Sabha.[13][21] In 1986 she spoke out against a bill giving women who divorce their husbands alimony.[22]

She later served as the president of the Mahila Congress from 1983 until 1988.[28][29]

Personal life

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Abida and Fakhruddin had two sons and a daughter.[30][4] The elder of their sons, Parvez Ahmed, is a doctor who contested the General Elections of 2014 in the Barpeta constituency as a candidate of the Trinamool Congress party.[31][32][33] Their other son, Badar Durrez Ahmed, served as a judge of the Delhi High Court and retired as Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.[34][35] Abida was a badminton player and led the Assam team in the 1958 national championships.[36]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ram, Sharmila Ganesan (11 July 2022). "Times top10". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  2. ^ Vajpayee, Ramkrishna (7 December 2020). "बेगम आबिदा अहमद की पुण्यतिथि, जानिए उनकी जिंदगी से जुड़े अनसुने किस्से" [Begum Abida Ahmed's death anniversary, know the unheard stories related to her life]. newstrack.com (in Hindi). Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  3. ^ Agrawal, M. G. (2008). Freedom Fighters of India (In Four Volumes). Isha Books. p. 119. ISBN 9788182054684.
  4. ^ a b "India's First Lady Moves Into the Official Spotlight". New York Times. 25 October 1974. p. 34. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  5. ^ De Groodt, Helene (12 December 1973). "Indian Painter Gives Watergate Interpretation in Oils". THe Orlando Sentinel. p. 24. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  6. ^ "Pat charms Indian village as President meets brass". The Evening News. UPI. 31 July 1969. p. 15. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  7. ^ Thornton, Thomas (1992). "U.S.-Indian Relations in the Nixon and Ford Years". In Gould, Harold A.; Ganguly, Šumit (eds.). The Hope and the Reality: U.S.-Indian Relations from Roosevelt to Reagan (1 ed.). Routledge. doi:10.4324/9780429311611. ISBN 978-0-429-31161-1.
  8. ^ Collingham, Lizzie; Husain, Salma (2016). Around India's First Table : Dining and Entertaining at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. New Delhi, India: Government of India. p. 119. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  9. ^ "All the Presidents' Meals: What is served at the First Table". The Indian Express. 16 September 2021. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  10. ^ Wright, Gillian; Fanthome, André Jeanpierre; India; Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts; India, eds. (2015). The presidential retreats of India. New Delhi: Publications Division, Government of India. ISBN 978-81-230-2075-4. OCLC 935310855.
  11. ^ Gopalakrishnan, Sudha; Yashaswini Chandra; Khanna, Dinesh; India; India; Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts; Rashtrapati Bhavan (New Delhi, India), eds. (2016). Life at Rashtrapati Bhavan. RB series. New Delhi: Publication Division, Government of India. ISBN 978-81-230-2298-7. OCLC 967545120.
  12. ^ "Feels Like Home". The Indian Express. 1 November 2020. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  13. ^ a b Rathi, Nandini (26 July 2017). "Savita Kovind enters Rashtrapati Bhavan, but India's First Ladies are yet to make a mark". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  14. ^ "India's President Ahmed dies; hailed as 'a great Moslem'". The Berkshire Eagle. UPI. 11 February 1977. p. 2. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  15. ^ Goswami, Sabita (11 March 2014). Along the Red River: A Memoir. Translated by Mathur, Triveni Goswami (1 ed.). New Delhi, India: Zubaan Books. ISBN 978-93-83074-26-6. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  16. ^ Mohanty, Manoranjan, ed. (2004). Class, caste, gender. Readings in Indian government and politics. New Delhi; Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications. ISBN 978-0-7619-9643-9.
  17. ^ Sen, Ilina, ed. (27 November 1990). A Space Within the Struggle: Women's Participation in People's Movements. New Delhi, India: Zubaan.
  18. ^ Avishek, Sengupta (12 November 2016). "Martyrs' families angry, confused". The Telegraph India. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  19. ^ Niesewand, Peter (11 December 1979). "Two die in Indian Election violence". The Guardian. p. 7. Retrieved 1 October 2024.
  20. ^ Bhagabati, Dikshit Sarma (2021). "Exorcisms: Xenophobia, citizenship, and the spectre of Assamese nationalism". Jindal Global Law Review. 12 (1): 171–203. doi:10.1007/s41020-021-00147-4. ISSN 0975-2498. PMC 8178655.
  21. ^ Fleschenberg, Andrea; Derichs, Claudia; Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, eds. (2012). Women and politics in Asia: a springboard for democracy. Singapore : Zürich: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies; Lit Verlag. ISBN 978-981-4311-73-1.
  22. ^ Majumdar, Maya (2005). "Time of Transition". Encyclopaedia of gender equality through women empowerment. New Delhi: Sarup & Sons. p. 248. ISBN 978-81-7625-548-6.
  23. ^ "About - God's Grace School". Archived from the original on 31 March 2012. Retrieved 5 September 2011.
  24. ^ "India Islamic Cultural Centre - 1981-2018 Genesis, Aims, Obligations". Muslim Mirror. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  25. ^ Masoud, Abdul Bari (15 August 2024). "Khurshid becomes India Islamic Cultural Centre president, RSS-backed candidate loses". IndiaTomorrow. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
  26. ^ "The royal touch". The Hindu. 7 January 2010. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  27. ^ "Gender+ newsletter". The Times of India. 11 July 2022. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  28. ^ Devi, Prasad (2 September 2019). "How OBCs have had little say in the Congress party". Forward Press. Retrieved 3 October 2024.
  29. ^ Badhwar, Inderjit (31 October 1986). "All India Mahila Congress hit by political infighting between its chairperson and convenor". India Today. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  30. ^ "The Orlando Sentinel 11 Feb 1977, page 48". Newspapers.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  31. ^ "The Orlando Sentinel 11 Feb 1977, page 48". Newspapers.com. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  32. ^ "Former President's son to fight for TMC". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  33. ^ "Former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed's son files nomination". Business Standard India. Press Trust of India. 31 March 2014. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  34. ^ "Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed". Kashmir Life. 22 March 2018. Archived from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  35. ^ Sharma, Nalini (29 March 2017). "May the Force be with you! Justice Badar Durrez Ahmed bids farewell to Delhi HC [Read speech]". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Archived from the original on 9 July 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  36. ^ "How successive Indian presidents patronised sports and became champions too". The Indian Express. 30 May 2021. Retrieved 20 June 2023.
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