Begum Aizaz Rasul
Topic: Framing the Indian Constitution · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Framing the Constitution"
Meaning
Begum Aizaz Rasul was a member of the Constituent Assembly from the United Provinces. She was the only Muslim woman in it. She opposed separate electorates, a system in which only Muslim voters elect Muslim representatives. She thought they were self-destructive because they cut minorities off from the majority. Her stand showed that not all Muslim members backed the demand.
Example
In the Assembly debates of 1947-49, she argued against separate electorates even though B. Pocker Bahadur of the Muslim League was pressing for them. By 1949, most Muslim members had come to agree with her. They felt that taking an active part in common elections would serve minorities better.
Don't confuse with
- B. Pocker Bahadur: a Muslim League member from Madras who argued for keeping separate electorates. Begum Aizaz Rasul argued against them.