EP31 - Writing about family histories and stories that define us
This MBM conversation is with Nusrat Jafri, author of the memoir ‘This Land We Call Home’. In this book, Nusrat traces her maternal history going back to her great grand-father, who was originally part of the Bhantu tribe, and later adopted Christianity as a way to overcome the ostracisation imposed upon him and his family for belonging to what the British deemed as ‘criminal tribes’. Nusrat’s book offers a window into the lives and choices of her grand aunts, who with the help of Christian missionaries’ efforts got access to education and opportunities to become the first women to study in boarding schools, have varied career choices, travel abroad, marry or not by their own choices, and in effect become role models for her. She writes about her mother Meera, born in the year of India’s independence, who also carved a path of her own, fell in love with a Muslim man, decided to convert to Islam, and effectively raised Nusrat and her siblings in a Muslim household. This conversation takes a deeper dive into Nusrat’s years growing up in a cultural milieu where the term conversion was not a loaded one and where being a Muslim came with a space to ask questions to arrive at one's own answers. We talk about many layers of this Muslim identity, including gender, caste, class and how one carries their Muslimness in the world and country we find ourselves today. Do give this episode a listen and share it with your friends, family and loved ones. About Nusrat Jafri Nusrat Jafri, is a Mumbai based award-winning cinematographer. She has over fifteen years of experience in filmmaking. Born and brought up in Lucknow, she moved to New Delhi for graduation and post-graduation in Mass Communication. Her professional journey includes stints as a journalist with The Pioneer and CNBC Awaaz. Nusrat is a mentee of the first cohort (2021) of South Asia Speaks. She was featured in the second edition of Rising Beyond The Ceiling: 100 stereotype-shattering stories of Muslim women of Uttar Pradesh, India. She lives in Mumbai with her husband, son and a cat named Jamia. You can learn about her book and find links to purchase here. Episode Notes: * From the memoir: How Bhantus, a ‘criminal tribe’, found acceptance from Christian missionaries (Excerpt from the book, This Land We Call Home by Nusrat Jafri, Scroll, June 2024) * Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family and the Making of Modern India by Sujatha Gidla (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2018) * Understanding Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb: How diverse is the "Indian multiculturalism"(Rana Safvi, DNA, June 2014) * “Many see Indian Muslims as suspect foreigners, despite the fact that most are descendants of Hindus who converted to Islam.” India’s Muslims: An Increasingly Marginalized Population (Lindsay Maizland, Council on Foreign Relations, March 2024) * Chhattisgarh: Hindutva group attacks Christian families, forces to sign pact to ‘convert within ten days’ (Sidra Fatima, Maktoob Media, June 2024) * Issue Update: India’s State Level Anti-Conversion Laws (United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, March 2023) * Religious Composition of India - All religious groups in India show major declines in fertility rates, limiting change in the country’s religious composition over time (Pew Research Center, September 2021) * 25 years later, long shadow of the Staines murders (Debabrata Mohanty, Hindustan Times, January 2024) * Why caste among Muslims must be studied (by Shireen Azam and Srinivas Goli, The Indian Express, May 2022) * Caste Among Indian Muslims Is a Real Issue. So Why Deny Them Reservation? (Pratik Patnaik, The Wire, December 2020) MBM visual identity design by Shazia Salam || Music by Jupneet Singh This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.mainbhimuslim.com
