When Jailor Becomes the Judge : Muslim Women Getting Empowered

27/04/2025

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That tiny decorated hall at the far end of the city, was overflowing with people; women in particular. I got a chair due to the kindness of a woman. It was a difficult kind of kindness, for sure.

All the women were staring at her.

The celebrity Girl who was the centre of everyone’s attention.

She was Miss.Munzarin Jailor.

No, it was not her marriage or betrothal ceremony. No it was not her aqeeqa even.

Because usually such crowds of women at the ripe night time of 9 pm are seen only for marriage etc.

So what was the occasion about?

I started listening to the speaker. A young girl around 28- 29, her words fell on my ears and I was stunned.

“ My mother said, Shadi wadi toh hoti rahe gi, baad mein, Tu pehle padh or aage badh” ( Marriages can happen later; first you study and go far ahead)

I was aghast. The women especially young girls appeared shocked yet eyed the speaker Miss. Munzarin Jailor admiringly. She had just cleared her Judicial Magistrate first class and civil (criminal) judge junior division, exams 2025. Her rank was 39^th in Maharashtra. Their mothers in tow with them were as besotted with her words as their daughters. There was almost a pin drop silence in the hall if you disregarded an occasional humph or hrrumph from kids around.

This was a revolutionary moment, for our community, where a parent and more so a mother, a woman was asking her daughter not to think of marriage but to study and march ahead in her career.

This was revolution.

Tell me, my dear young women, how many of you get to hear such words from your parents?

I think, not much.

Here you turn eighteen [ or you are out of your HSC and there, faces of our parents start turning pale in the hope and wait of a more than perfect proposal for their beloved daughter. If they could have their way, they would get us married when we turn thirteen or fourteen, but with times, they too have turned a bit modern and marry their girls around 18! Perhaps due to the teachings of Mahatma Phule and his wife Savitribai who ran a revolution in education for the girls in Pune around 1848, we have started thinking that girl’s education is very important.

What was happening here? Which educational revolution was taking place in this small obscure hall in 2025?

At least women or girls are not supposed to hear such blasphemies s of delaying marriage and studying further.

I remember, when I cleared my SSC, like everyone I dreamed about building a grand career in engineering. In fact the engineering college had come home to invite me for admissions in their college. In those days engineering was ‘novel fresh’ on the horizon. But no, the mild Hitler cum Dostoevsky my father declared,” No, you can’t attend an engineering college. Never.”

I tried asking between my sobs, but why?

Despite being a bit dramatic I was still under control. I didn’t want him to flare up.

Girls are, no, not weak, a bit caring, perhaps; but I don’t know why most girls get scared at such critical junctures.

Coming back, I asked him , the pertinent question of why, why. His reply was ,

“How would you (a girl) sit in the class where every other student is a boy? How would you study in a class room full of boys?”

I wanted to shout with the strength of a massive elephant, I can, I can. I can study in a class room where every other student is a boy.”

But the woman in me could not.

Some Muslims have quite different norms for their daughters and sons despite our beloved Prophet PBUH having instructed us , not to discriminate among genders.

But we all religiously believe, Boys are boys! , and that most untruthful unsolved mystery that boys never listen? ( Implying boys will do what they like)

But I want to declare, Boys listen, if they are made to listen. If a proper training [tarbiyat ] is in place for them since childhood.

The world suppresses the weak faster quicker and with much more ease.

Hence girls are made to shut up as soon as they talk about dreams as they are presumed to be weaker sex.

But here in this hall on April 13, 2025, a different scenario was being created.

Fresh , novel, and pleasing. Perhaps, first among the firsts, in the time of my community.

I didn’t feel teary eyed. I didn’t want to jump and shout in excited tones.

I just sat there, absorbing the light emitting from those young eyes mixed with the happily proud tangled eyes of their adults. This contrast of attitudes was clearly marking a new horizon towards the progress of our community.

Changing attitudes towards female education is the first step towards our emancipation. As it is famously said, one educated woman makes her whole family educated, like wise one Munzarin Jailor can go miles ahead to create awareness among young girls and instilling a strong desire for higher education. More importantly, this success would go a long way; erasing that rotten Talibani mindset that claims girls are not fit for even basic education.

Let’s “ Reject Taliban “ and all learn to be like the mother of Munzarin Jailor who went on encouraging her daughter to not worry about marriage but focus on her dream of education ; of becoming a judge. That day this mother sat in the front rows and her eyes shone bright and this took me back to a past that was mine.

The headmaster cum Freedom Fighter Hussain Sahab Josh

My grandfather (from mother’s side) was a school headmaster also a poet Mr. Hussain Sahab Josh in the early 1940s. More importantly he was a freedom fighter who wore a Gandhi cap and would never remove his revered Gandhi cap and would be beaten black and blue by the British Baton. Blows came and went but the noble Gandhi cap was never let to fall on the ground. That was our Freedom Fighter.

But the reason I mention this man Mr.Hussain Sahab Josh is because he had fought another Big Battle on the gender lines in Pre –independence Sholapur. Around early 40’s he was the first Muslim man to send his daughters to school!

This was unheard of in those times. Girls didn’t go to school. But he was determined that he would be sending all his four daughters to school, to study to start a career even. Muslims there didn’t react kindly to this Headmaster and the shenanigans of sending his young daughters to school. When their efforts failed to deter this father of four daughters, they began a social boycott of him and his family. No one would invite them for weddings. The zealots would come by their home, spit loudly at their door and leave.

Imagine a father of not one , two or three; but four young daughters ; had no fear of their future marriages? How was/is it possible? And to imagine this was happening more than 70 years ago.

My grandma like all women was more fond of her son Nazir Hussain. And this was hated by my Nana Josh and like his name he would declare to her,

Nay, no, I have four sons and one daughter!

I start imagining this domestic scene between my grandparents and laugh aloud and the chills of impending marriage of a daughter [the perennial nightmare of an Indian woman] start subsiding.

This is what I call revolution at its basics.

Fighting the British was easy compared to fighting these Talibani orthodox elements in our own society who deprive women even for a few fresh breaths.

My grandpa Hussain Sahab Josh duly rendered those Talibanis jobless. All his daughters reached great heights in educational fields. The first one Mrs.Fatima Anees was the Principal of Anjuman KhairulIslam school in Madanpura, Bombay. The second one Mrs.Zaibunnissa served as a Librarian in Maharashtra college, Mumbai. The third one Mrs. Hamida Aowte retired as a Principal of a school in Ratnagiri,Konkan. The fourth one my mother Mrs.Qamar Ayyub Khan also served as a teacher in a Mumbai school. Now those same Talibanis who spat on their faces and didn’t entertain their presence, would come to them begging for sundry works.

Sweet justice.

I was reminded of this personal history while watching my student Miss. Munzarin Jailor and her mother standing tall in the gathering of women , asking the women to think of studies first and possibly a career and more importantly delaying the bandwagon of marriage.

Being a glorified maid forever or having her own independent means of livelihood first ?

What is better?

I have been telling my girls, to get highly educated first, marriage can wait. And even when in these times of joblessness, let’s not worry too much about jobs but more about having a sound education. Getting trained , getting skilled is more important. And learning the language of English is surely one of the best Life Skills.

Before concluding let me talk a bit more about our Protagonist Munzarin Jailor.

I don’t remember a day in those three years of graduation when I had not scolded her. She was like that, chirpy bubbly always laughing yet studied well. Hence secretly she was my favorite student. Yet I never revealed it to her.

Her father was a chaiwala and mother a home maker. Coming from not such a privileged background she fought with hunger and lots other complications accompanying it. But God, did you see any shadow of her struggles on her face?

Nay, never ever.

Always smiling, always charming.

Her mother tells me, she would shut herself up in her room and study for fourteen to fifteen hours everyday. She didn’t even attend any weddings or sundry functions.

Her success also defies the notion of discrimination with our community. Adv. M.A. Inamdar ,a prominent senior lawyer from the city , explains that , it is the hard work dedication and strong belief in herself that has brought Munzarin this success.

Cheers to that!

Here is a good lesson to learn for our youngsters. For our women especially whose lives whirl around wedding functions and the next weddings and to the next function.