A social activist, a rebel, an organiser and a person who has generated ideas for thousands of cr... more

A social activist, a rebel, an organiser and a person who has generated ideas for thousands of creative campaigns and implemented them at the local as well as national level. Shabnam Hashmi has been working as a social activist for more than 25 years. She started her activism from 1981 she has spent most of her time in combating communal and fundamentalist forces in India. After the Gujarat carnage of 2002, perpetrated against the Muslim minority, Shabnam Hashmi changed her focus to grass root work and has spent considerable amount of time during the past seven years in Gujarat. In 2003 she along with a few others formed Anhad-one of the most vocal platforms against the hate ideology. She also works extensively in Kashmir. Shabnam Hashmi has faced physical attacks and has been in dangerous situations however she has fought for the democratic rights of citizens fearlessly. She has also been instrumental in shaping the consciousness of younger generation around secular issues by organising hundreds of workshops and residential during the past ten years. Shabnam Hashmi was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize as part of the 1000 women from across the world in 2005. She is a member of the National Integration Council. She was awarded the National Minority Rights Award in 2008. less