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Shabnam Hashmi


(born ) is an activist and campaigner dedicated to promoting , combating , and advancing peace-building initiatives.
She founded ANHAD ( Now for and ) in , shortly after the , to from Hindu nationalist groups and foster inter-community through , , and .
Hashmi, who began her activism with adult campaigns in and was involved in the cultural SAHMAT following the 1989 killing of her brother Safdar Hashmi, identifies as an atheist committed to equality and has led efforts against electoral malpractices and for women's fearlessness in opposing authoritarianism.
In 2014, she petitioned the Supreme Court in Shabnam Hashmi v. Union of India, seeking recognition of adoption rights under Article 21 for Muslims outside personal law restrictions, highlighting her push for reforms amid debates on uniform civil code.
After 22 years, Hashmi stepped down from ANHAD's leadership in August , citing the need for younger activists to continue the work amid ongoing challenges to democratic norms.

Early Life and Background

Childhood and Education

Shabnam Hashmi was born in 1957 in India to Haneef Hashmi and Qamar Azad Hashmi, members of a Muslim family with roots in the country's independence movement. Her father, a participant in pre-partition activities, opted to stay in India amid the communal violence of 1947 rather than migrate to Pakistan. Her mother, Qamar Azad Hashmi, worked as a teacher and maintained involvement in activist circles. The family resided in Delhi, where Hashmi grew up with siblings including Safdar Hashmi, a playwright affiliated with communist theater groups, and Sohail Hashmi. Hashmi's upbringing occurred in an intellectually oriented shaped by narratives of anti-colonial and ideals, which her had inherited from earlier generations engaged in the struggle. This environment, described by Hashmi herself as "extremely interesting," emphasized to historical accounts of India's efforts from childhood onward. Details of Hashmi's formal education remain sparsely documented in public records, though she pursued higher studies, including a period of college attendance in the erstwhile Soviet Union during the early 1980s, before returning to Delhi for postgraduate work around 1981. Her academic path reflected the family's orientation toward intellectual pursuits amid a broader context of left-leaning influences.

Family and Influences

Shabnam Hashmi was in 1957 to parents who participated in India's struggle and were members of the . Her declined to migrate to following the 1947 , leading to financial difficulties, while her worked as principal of a , where the lived on the . In a household characterized by democratic values and gender equality, alongside four siblings, Hashmi was immersed in progressive influences, including stories of anti-fascist resistance and the independence movement, as well as home gatherings featuring poetry, literature, and music by figures such as Faiz Ahmed Faiz, attended by intellectuals like Bhisham Sahni and Habib Tanvir. Her brother , a practitioner advocating through performances with groups like Jana Natya Manch, exerted a significant personal influence. His death on , 1989, two days after being assaulted by political workers during an anti-communal play in Sahadara, Delhi, marked a pivotal tragedy that deepened her resolve against injustice, as she later stated feeling a duty to honor his memory amid the era's rising communal tensions. The familial milieu of and , steeped in leftist thought, debates, and to Marxist ideas via parental and activities, fostered Hashmi's foundational to social equity and anti-oppression principles.

Activism Career

Early Involvement in Social Causes

Following the murder of her brother on , 1989, during a street play performance in Sahapur, , Shabnam Hashmi co-founded the (SAHMAT) to honor his through cultural against . SAHMAT organized , exhibitions, and performances emphasizing secular values and to rising Hindu-Muslim tensions in during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In the immediate aftermath of the demolition on , 1992, SAHMAT, under Hashmi's involvement, staged a week-long cultural protest from to 13 at Safdar Hashmi Marg in , featuring plays, music, and public readings to condemn the act and promote interfaith dialogue. This initiative drew participation from artists and intellectuals, aiming to counter communal polarization through non-violent artistic expression rather than political agitation. Parallel to her SAHMAT work, Hashmi engaged in grassroots peace-building efforts in the 1990s, including community dialogues in riot-affected areas to foster reconciliation between communities. She also continued adult literacy campaigns she had initiated in 1981, targeting women in urban slums and rural pockets of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, conducting classes that reached hundreds by the mid-1990s to empower marginalized groups amid social unrest. These efforts emphasized practical skills over ideological indoctrination, with documented sessions integrating basic reading alongside discussions on civic rights.

Founding ANHAD and Organizational Leadership

Act Now for Harmony and Democracy (ANHAD) was established in the first week of March 2003 by Shabnam Hashmi, historian K. N. Panikkar, and activist Harsh Mander, directly in response to the 2002 Gujarat riots, which official records indicate resulted in over 1,000 deaths, predominantly Muslims, amid widespread communal violence. The organization's founding charter emphasized countering communalism through promotion of secularism, democratic values, and social harmony, initially focusing on youth residential camps to foster citizenship education and inter-community dialogue. Registered as a public trust under Indian law, ANHAD adopted a trustee-based structure with seven initial eminent trustees, including Hashmi as a key founder and operational leader, enabling grassroots interventions without reliance on hierarchical bureaucracy. Under Hashmi's stewardship as managing trustee, ANHAD expanded beyond immediate riot relief to structured programs in education, such as skill-building workshops for marginalized youth, and women's rights initiatives addressing gender equity within secular frameworks. Interfaith efforts grew to include dialogue platforms and community events aimed at bridging religious divides, reflecting the organization's evolution into a broader socio-cultural entity over two decades. Hashmi maintained leadership continuity, guiding strategic growth despite internal transitions, until her final day on August 18, 2025, when she handed over to a younger trustee team to ensure organizational sustainability. The organization encountered regulatory hurdles, notably the revocation of its Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) license by India's Ministry of Home Affairs on December 15, 2016, following inquiries into foreign funding utilization; the ministry cited violations of norms prohibiting activities prejudicial to national interest, after an inadvertent renewal in March 2016. This decision, part of a broader scrutiny of over 20,000 NGOs since 2014 for FCRA non-compliance, restricted ANHAD's access to international grants, prompting a shift toward domestic resource mobilization while preserving core operations in secular advocacy and community programs.

Major Campaigns and Initiatives

In the early 2000s, Hashmi spearheaded efforts to secure legal recognition for adoption rights among Muslims in India, challenging religious personal laws that prohibited adoption. She filed a public interest litigation in the Supreme Court in 2005, arguing for the right to adopt under secular frameworks like the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, irrespective of faith. In its 2014 judgment in Shabnam Hashmi v. Union of India, the Court affirmed that the Act enables adoption for all citizens, including Muslims, without conflicting with personal laws, thereby establishing a precedent that allowed over 1,000 Muslim adoptions annually through secular channels by facilitating guardianship conversions to full adoption where possible, though it declined to deem adoption a fundamental right under Article 21. The "Mere Aake Dekho" (Come Visit My ) , initiated under ANHAD around , promotes inter-community by encouraging participants from diverse castes, sects, and religions to visit each other's homes and share meals, aiming to foster and reduce communal divides. The initiative has been replicated in various regions, including a 2025 iteration focused on supporting Kashmiri women entrepreneurs through visits and economic networking , reaching of participants across and rural settings to build . In 2024, Hashmi co-led the "I Too Am Chennamma" campaign to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Chennamma's resistance against rule, mobilizing women to invoke historical fearlessness against . Launched on February 21 at Kittur Fort in , it drew a march of approximately 3,500 women from 75 organizations, culminating in the Kittur Declaration on March 8, which called for on and issued through nationwide events in states including Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. A family-driven mental health awareness initiative in 2025, titled "Breaking Stigma - One Mile at a Time," involved Hashmi's daughter Seher Hashmi biking 2,700 kilometers from to in between April 20 and May 8, conducting over 30 community sessions across 20 locations. The effort engaged more than 3,200 young people in discussions on access, stigma reduction, and professional referrals, undeterred by regional security challenges like the Pahalgam attack.

Political Positions and Views

On Communalism and Secularism

Hashmi has consistently opposed as a form of that weaponizes politically, arguing it has elevated such forces from the fringes to centrestage in over two decades by infiltrating cultural, educational, and spaces. She describes 's tactics, including bhajan mandalis, shishu mandirs, and rath yatras, as mechanisms to sow hatred against minorities, culminating in physical and genocidal acts, with as a repeated testing ground since the 1960s. In a 2013 address, Hashmi condemned Narendra Modi's approach in for communalizing education and distorting history, calling it "the biggest sin" that stripped an entire generation of intellectual freedom to serve personal political ends. Advocating constitutional , Hashmi to in civic terms, stating she fights "not as a Muslim... but as a citizen of ," urging forces to prioritize political over mere condemnation to dismantle prejudices. She critiques extremisms across communities, including regressive patriarchal norms within minorities, yet her statements emphasize empirical patterns of anti-Muslim , such as unreported low-intensity conflicts and the of over 5,000 Muslim families in Gujarat camps years after major riots. This focus stems from causal observations of state and societal failures in protecting minorities, linking sporadic incidents to broader majoritarian mobilization. Her direct involvement in post-2002 Gujarat relief exemplified this advocacy, where she coordinated aid distribution—including sewing machines and handcarts—to around 6,000 victims sheltered in camps like Darya Khan Gumbad amid widespread destruction from gang rapes and arson. These efforts revealed systemic biases in relief delivery and police complicity, informing ANHAD's founding in 2003 to document atrocities, file cases, and build secular counter-narratives through cultural and training programs, though the organization's initiatives have been critiqued for prioritizing Muslim victims over balanced communal reconciliation.

Critiques of Government Policies

In April 2014, Hashmi publicly rejected the "Gujarat model" of governance and development promoted by then-Chief Minister as a "bundle of myths" propagated by and political narratives, emphasizing empirical shortcomings in social welfare metrics. She highlighted data indicating 70% anemia prevalence among women and 45% malnutrition rates among children in , arguing these figures undermined claims of exceptional progress compared to national averages or other states with similar economic growth. During campaigns in , she distributed leaflets critiquing the model, which led to reported confrontations with BJP supporters. Hashmi has consistently opposed policies under the BJP-led since , particularly those perceived as eroding secular protections for minorities. In response to the () enacted in and linked proposals for a nationwide (), she participated in protests and argued the measures would exacerbate vulnerabilities for women, , and communities through documentation burdens in the (). She contended that the 's exclusion of from fast-track —while including non- from specified countries—signaled discriminatory intent, especially when paired with NRC implementation, as evidenced by the Assam NRC's exclusion of 1.9 million people, disproportionately affecting based on verification discrepancies. On mob violence and lynchings, Hashmi accused the of systemic inaction and tacit endorsement since , pointing to incidents like the June killing of teenager Junaid on as emblematic of unchecked targeting over beef-related suspicions. In protest, she returned the ' on June 27, , stating the panel had lost credibility by failing to address rising attacks, which she described as the outsourcing to non-state . Her critiques referenced patterns in reported cases, aligning with National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data showing over 2,900 instances of religious violence from to 2020, though aggregate communal killing tolls declined 12% in the 2014-2021 period compared to 2006-2013, with variations like 62 killings in 2020.

Stance on Minority Rights and Adoption

Hashmi has advocated for reforms within to enable , challenging the traditional Islamic stance that does not recognize but permits guardianship (kafala). In , she filed a litigation, Shabnam Hashmi v. , seeking a of the right to as under 21 of the , applicable even to those governed by personal laws that prohibit full . The , in its February 19, 2014 judgment, ruled that the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, provides a secular framework for without conflicting with , as the latter neither mandates nor prohibits outright, thereby allowing Muslims to adopt children legally while preserving religious practices like inheritance rules. This decision facilitated the Central Adoption Resource Authority's (CARA) 2017 guidelines under the amended Juvenile Justice Act, which streamlined processes and explicitly enabled Muslim families to adopt without converting or altering personal law status, addressing prior barriers where Muslims were limited to guardianship. Regarding triple talaq, Hashmi supported abolishing instant as a regressive practice harmful to Muslim women but criticized the government's approach as incomplete and politically motivated, arguing for broader reforms like a to address and disparities rather than isolated . In , following the Court's August 22 declaration invalidating instant talaq, she participated in campaigns highlighting its social harms, yet in September , she opposed the Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Bill that made it a penal offense, stating it was a politicized move intended to polarize communities after the judicial ban already rendered it void. Her position emphasized empirical outcomes, noting that criminal penalties burdened women with enforcement responsibilities without tackling root causes like economic dependency, and advocated integrating such bans within a comprehensive code applicable to all communities to avoid selective targeting of Muslims. In the 2022 hijab controversy, Hashmi viewed school bans on headscarves as state overreach exacerbating communal tensions, while personally rejecting hijab as an essential religious identity or marker of dignity, describing it instead as a patriarchal imposition not mandated by core Islamic texts. She condemned the bans imposed by institutions like the Government Pre-University Colleges in , where on 2022, six Muslim girls were denied entry for wearing hijab despite prior uniform compliance, arguing that enforcing dress codes violated educational access without evidence of disruption, as data from affected schools showed no prior policy violations until politicization. Hashmi urged resistance to both majoritarian restrictions and conservative clerical demands framing hijab as inviolable, citing that only 10-15% of Muslim women in India wear it per surveys, often under social pressure rather than faith, and warned that the dispute aided right-wing agendas by essentializing minority symbols over substantive rights like schooling, where female enrollment rates among Muslims lagged at 72.9% for ages 14-18 per 2017-18 NSSO data.

Controversies and Criticisms

Public Protests and Award Returns

In 2017, Shabnam Hashmi returned the , conferred upon her in 2008 by the , to protest a of lynchings targeting , including incidents in and earlier that year, and the commission's perceived to safeguard . In her letter to the commission, she declared the had "lost all its credibility" amid the government's apathy toward "consistent attacks and killings of the minorities," framing the return as a tribute to victims of violence and Islamophobia. The did not issue a rebuttal or reversal of its stance, underscoring Hashmi's critique of its diminished authority in addressing communal violence. Hashmi joined widespread demonstrations against the in , participating in a on outside PVR Anupam in , where approximately demonstrators, including lawyers and activists, chanted slogans opposing the law's exclusion of from fast-tracked for non-Muslim refugees from neighboring . Authorities filed an against her under 188 of the for purportedly defying orders by displaying a banner during the event, leading to a trial court summoning her in 2020. On February 10, 2024, the High Court quashed the trial court's order, ruling that no cognizable offense had been made out, thereby nullifying the legal proceedings stemming from her involvement. Between and , Hashmi engaged in additional acts of , such as speaking at on threats to dissenting in , where she urged against of , and supporting student-led protests against the CAA-NRC in , including those at . These actions amplified calls for constitutional protections amid reported crackdowns on protesters, though they drew immediate shifts beyond judicial interventions in cases.

Allegations of Partisan Bias

Critics, particularly from right-leaning outlets, have accused Shabnam Hashmi of partisan bias manifested as selective activism that prioritizes critiques of Hindu nationalism while allegedly overlooking Islamist extremism and intra-community Muslim issues. They contend this selectivity is evident in her extensive focus on cow vigilantism—highlighted in multiple ANHAD campaigns—contrasted with minimal public engagement on honor killings, which NCRB reports document as numbering over 1,000 cases annually in India, many linked to conservative Muslim practices. Such critiques portray her work as advancing a one-sided communalism narrative, disregarding patterns where minority groups have initiated violence in communal clashes, though official NCRB data on rioting offenses does not explicitly attribute initiators. Hashmi's perceived with the has fueled further allegations of , with describing her as a "pro- activist" who spreads to opposition causes during politically charged periods from to 2024. In May , following results, she publicly claimed machines underwent "right-wing ," echoing narratives the BJP's without . Similarly, in amid protests, Hashmi shared a video alleging police brutality against a protester, later debunked as featuring an individual promoting Khalistani separatism unrelated to the agitation. has documented multiple such instances, arguing they demonstrate a pattern of partisan distortion timed to undermine the ruling government.

Funding Scrutiny and Organizational Challenges

In December 2016, the revoked ANHAD's Foreign Contribution (FCRA) licence, following its inadvertent renewal in March 2016 despite prior inquiries in June 2014 and November 2015. The revocation cited ANHAD's engagement in "undesirable activities against ," prohibiting the organization from receiving foreign contributions thereafter. Prior to the cancellation, ANHAD depended on foreign donors including (), (), and Jewish World for operational . The loss of FCRA status exacerbated financial strains, as ANHAD shifted to domestic funding sources amid reports of intimidation against Indian donors via income tax notices. This led to reduced capacity for ongoing projects, with founders noting preparations for such scenarios but acknowledging disruptions to initiatives aiding marginalized communities. Organizational sustainability suffered, contributing to leadership transitions; Shabnam Hashmi, a founding trustee, stepped down from her role on August 15, 2025, citing the need for younger leadership amid persistent resource constraints.

Personal Incidents and Legal Issues

On April 28, 2014, Shabnam Hashmi and her associate were manhandled by a group of approximately 20 individuals allegedly affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) while distributing leaflets against communalism in Raebareli, Uttar Pradesh. The assailants reportedly pushed, abused, and snatched the materials from them, though no serious injuries occurred as police intervened promptly at the scene. No First Information Report (FIR) was registered following the incident despite complaints. In July 2017, Hashmi received telephonic death threats from impersonating sub-inspector, who claimed she could be eliminated in for lacking and address proof. The caller referenced a supposed new law permitting such actions against those without the biometric ID. arrested the perpetrator, identified as , on July 19, 2017, confirming the threats were fabricated and not from an actual officer. In a legal matter related to protests against the (), an was filed against Hashmi in for allegedly holding a during a amid restrictions, leading to a trial court order on October 8, 2021, taking cognizance under Section 188 of the Indian Penal Code for disobedience of a public order. The Delhi High Court quashed this order on February 7, 2024, ruling the offense non-cognizable and invalidating the police charge sheet filed without prior magistrate permission, thereby halting proceedings against her.

Recent Developments and Transition

Campaigns Post-2020

In 2024, Hashmi spearheaded the "I Too Am Chennamma" campaign, drawing on the legacy of the 19th-century Kittur who resisted colonial to mobilize women against perceived threats to and . The initiative culminated in the Kittur Declaration on February 21, 2024, where approximately 3,500 women gathered in Kittur, Karnataka, pledging to "fascist forces" and while emphasizing constitutional safeguards. The declaration was formally released on March 8, 2024, in New Delhi by activists and academics, framing the campaign as a call for women to embody fearlessness in opposing anti-democratic trends. In early 2025, Hashmi coordinated the "Breaking Stigma One Mile At A Time" campaign, a cross-country initiative flagged off on April 20 from Dwarka, Delhi, aimed at addressing social stigmas through awareness marches that concluded in Kupwara, Jammu and Kashmir, by late April. This effort focused on community engagement to challenge prejudices, marking one of her final coordinated drives under ANHAD before her transition. In January 2025, she supported the launch of "Mere Ghar Aa Ke Dekho," a social media and outreach campaign promoting Kashmiri women entrepreneurs by encouraging visits to their homes and businesses to foster economic empowerment and counter isolation narratives. Amid rising cultural tensions, Hashmi publicly backed poet-lyricist in after the postponed his due to objections from groups like , which cited his secular views as incompatible with Islamic tenets. In an X post, she criticized the "Muslim right" for prioritizing over pluralistic traditions, arguing that such actions undermined India's composite secular and allowed fundamentalist pressures to dictate . This stance aligned with broader civil concerns over the incident, which highlighted conflicts between cultural expression and conservative religious objections.

Stepping Down from ANHAD

In 2025, Shabnam Hashmi announced her departure from ANHAD ( Now for and ), the she founded in 2003, after 22 years of . Her decision, shared publicly on , reflected a of amid "very difficult and yet incredible years," leading her to step away by mid- to allow a transition to a younger team. Hashmi's last day as trustee was , 2025, marking the handover to new, energetic members committed to sustaining ANHAD's focus on secularism, youth engagement, gender equity, domestic violence prevention, and skill development programs. Hashmi's reflections emphasized the toll of prolonged activism, including organizational challenges that strained resources and personnel over decades, while underscoring ANHAD's enduring contributions to justice initiatives. She highlighted the need for fresh leadership from younger generations to adapt and perpetuate the organization's work, noting that ANHAD had implemented programs reaching thousands through education, community harmony efforts, and anti-discrimination campaigns despite external pressures like funding restrictions imposed in 2015. This transition ensured continuity, with the incoming trustees pledging adherence to ANHAD's foundational ideology of promoting democratic values and minority protections without interruption to ongoing projects. Following her exit, Hashmi indicated plans to prioritize and family-led , particularly in . This included supporting the "Breaking One Mile At A Time" , conceived by her Seher Hashmi—a who began a personal recovery journey in April 2025 after a clinical depression diagnosis—and coordinated across 32 venues as Hashmi's final ANHAD initiative. The effort, culminating in events and videos by September 2025, aimed to destigmatize issues through public walks and storytelling, extending beyond ANHAD's scope into broader societal outreach.

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