Professor Rehana Sultana was a distinguished Indian academic and a formidable social activist who served as the Dean of the School of Arts & Social Sciences at Maulana Azad National Urdu University (MANUU) in Hyderabad. She passed away on December 10, 2014, at the age of 58, leaving behind a powerful legacy of empowerment through education and unwavering advocacy for human rights.
Defying the patriarchal norms of her time, Professor Sultana pursued higher education after an early marriage, eventually earning a Ph.D. in Linguistics. Her most significant academic achievement was establishing MANUU’s Centre for Women’s Studies in 2005. As its founding Director, she created a vital platform for women’s empowerment by introducing academic courses, initiating research projects on the status of Muslim women, publishing a journal, and organising extensive legal and health literacy programs. She envisioned the Centre as a bridge between academia and the community, fostering collaborations with NGOs to advance women’s rights.
Beyond her academic role, Professor Sultana was a relentless and courageous activist, earning the moniker “The Iron Lady of Hyderabad.” In the 1990s, she founded the Deccan Glorious School in a slum to provide quality English-medium education to underprivileged Muslim children who faced discrimination elsewhere. Starting with just 12 students in a single room, she demonstrated her profound commitment to grassroots change.
Furthermore, as President of the Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee (CLMC), she was an outspoken critic of state oppression. She vehemently campaigned against the wrongful arrests of Muslim youth in terror cases and demanded justice and accountability for victims of human rights violations. She led protests, conducted fact-finding missions, and provided crucial support to affected families, challenging injustice at great personal risk. Her literary contributions include authoring and compiling several books in Urdu. Professor Sultana is remembered as a revolutionary figure who skillfully merged her roles as an educator and an activist, using her knowledge and position to fight for a more just and equitable society.