Seema Mustafa

over the defence of an anti-Congress, anti-Indo-US Nuclear Deal op-ed written by Seema, Seema resigned from the Asian Age as well.

Biography

Seema Mustafa was born in Delhi on April 20th, 1955. She graduated with a BA in Political Science from Lucknow University in Uttar Pradesh. [cite news |title=Play on thumri queen Begum Akhtar |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/929624.cms |format= |work=The Times of India |date=2004-11-21 |accessdate=2008-08-11] Seema's father Lt Col Syed Mustafa was in the Indian Army and she is related to the socialist freedom fighter Rafi Ahmed Kidwai from her mother's side. Rajya Sabha MP Anis Kidwai was her grandmother from her mother's side. Seema has two elder brothers, SP 'Bobby' Mustafa, Hindustan Unilever Ltd’s group treasurer and head of M&A , [cite mailing list |url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Mustafa-Appointed-HLL-Treasurer-M&A-Head/48617/ |title=Financial Express, Mustafa Appointed Treasure M&A Head] , and Kamal Mustafa, now retired but once the Managing Director & Head of Global Mergers and Acquisitions for Citybank. [cite mailing list |url=http://www.business.uconn.edu/cms/p566/a59 |title=Kamal Mustafa Biography] She was married to a businessman from Delhi, and is now divorced with two children, both attending college.

Seema is agnostic. [cite mailing list |url=http://www.mail-archive.com/[e-mail]/msg00495.html |title=SACW Sep 14, 2006 Pakistan: Appeasing the Mullahs; India: Vande Mataram controversy; Malegaon on the brink |date=2006-09-13 |accessdate=2008-08-11 |mailinglist=South Asia Citizens Wire |last=Harsh |first=KapoorVerify credibility|date=August 2008]

Career

Seema Mustafa began her journalist career in Lucknow with the "Pioneer" before becoming the only woman journalist with the "Patriot" in 1979. Later she also worked for many major newspapers, including "The Telegraph" and "Indian Express" before joining "The Asian Age" in 1997. [cite newsgroup |title=Seema Mustafa becomes a lakhpati |author=[e-mail] (Mo) |date=1999-08-12 |newsgroup=soc.culture.pakistan |url=http://groups.google.com.au/group/soc.culture.pakistan/msg/a790c3067b790fb4?dmode=source |accessdate=2008-08-11Verify credibility|date=August 2008]

She has received several journalistic awards, including the prestigious "Prem Bhatia Award for Excellence in Political Reporting and Analysis" in 1999 for her coverage of the Kargil war in May–July 1999.http://www.xignite.com/xWorldNews.aspx?articleid=SAF20060630083001Dead link|date=August 2008]

Seema Mustafa left the Asian Age in 2008 and is currently Editor of COVERT, a fortnightly political magazine.

Writing style

Seema has been noted to have a characteristic leftist and socialist view point. Many of her articles criticise government policy, and generally reflect pro-minority, secular and feminist slants. She has lashed out at many influential sections of the political spectrum. She has defended Indian Muslims against the charge of being anti-national and pro-Pakistani. [cite newsgroup |title=Minorities do not deserve this |author="JoeB" |date=2000-04-29 |newsgroup=soc.culture.indian |url=http://groups.google.com.au/group/soc.culture.indian/msg/98783bb5f6ba6a72?dmode=source&output=gplain |accessdate=2008-08-11Verify credibility|date=August 2008] [cite newsgroup |title=Kargil communalisation |author=[e-mail] (Mo) |date=1999-07-23 |newsgroup=soc.culture.pakistan |url=http://groups.google.com.au/group/soc.culture.pakistan/msg/215de39542a93d6d?dmode=source |accessdate=2008-08-11Verify credibility|date=August 2008]

Involvement in politics

Seema was a member of VP Singh's Janata Dal party and is said to be closely associated with him. [cite news |title=Do Indian writers tell it as it is? |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/35348926.cms |work=The Times of India |date=2001-03-25 |accessdate=2008-08-11] [cite newsgroup |title=With the "secularists" we have, Hindutva need not worry |author="Dilip N. Deodhar" |date=1996-07-12 |newsgroup=soc.culture.indian |url=http://groups.google.com.au/group/soc.culture.indian/msg/8a21a6166675b63d?dmode=source |accessdate=2008-08-11Verify credibility|date=August 2008] The fact that she wrote his biography seems to strengthen this assertion. She has apparently contested UP Assembly Elections under the Janata Dal Ticket. [cite web |url=http://hindustan.net/discus/messages/53/395.html?918164538 |title=Christians in India, Sonia Gandhi BJP The world? Vol. 1 |accessdate=2008-08-11 |publisher=Hindustan.orgVerify credibility|date=August 2008]

She contested the Lok Sabha General elections twice from Domariaganj in Uttar Pradesh, once as an Independent in 1996 and previously as a member of ICS(SCS) (a break away faction of the Congress(S)) in 1991 and lost both times, coming 10th and 4th respectively. [http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:AeQhKBSg3TMJ:www.zeenews.com/spesial_art.asp%3Faid%3D155230%26sid%3DZNS+seema-mustafa+janata-dal&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=30&gl=auDead link|date=August 2008] [cite web |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/1998/feb/up35.htm |title=Polling Booth: Election' 96: Uttar Pradesh/Domariaganj |accessdate=2008-08-11 |publisher=Rediff.com] [cite book |title=Statistical Report on General Elections, 1991 to the Tenth Lok Sabha |url=http://www.eci.gov.in/SR_KeyHighLights/LS_1991/VOL_I_LS_91.pdf |accessdate=2008-08-11 |year=1992 |publisher=Election Commission of India |location=New Dehli |pages=1–4 |chapter=List of Participating Political Parties] [cite book |title=Statistical Report on General Elections, 1996 to the Eleventh Lok Sabha |url=http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/LS_1996/Vol_I_LS_96.pdf |accessdate=2008-08-11 |publisher=Election Commission of India |location=New Dehli |pages=1–6 |chapter=List of Participating Political Parties]

Lately, she has been linked to an Indian Marxist Communist Party, the CPI(M) on the issue of opposing the Government of India's stance on the anti-Iran vote in the International Atomic Energy Agency to appease the USA. She is part of the CPI(M) "Committee to Campaign for an Independent Foreign Policy". [cite press release |title=Committee to Campaign for an Independent Foreign Policy |publisher=Communist Party of India (Marxist) |date=2005-10-10 |url=http://www.cpim.org/statement/2005/10102005_foreign%20policy.htm |accessdate=2008-08-11] [cite news |title=Left to woo UPA allies on Iran issue |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051011/main6.htm |work=The Tribune |date=2005-10-11 |accessdate=2008-08-11]

Of late, she has written actively in opposition to the Indo-US Nuclear Agreement.

Publications

*cite book |last=Mustafa |first=Seema |year=1995 |title=The Lonely Prophet: V.P. Singh, a Political Biography |isbn=9788122408096 |publisher=New Age International |location=New Delhi |oclc=33664491
*cite book |last=Mustafa |first=Seema |coauthors=Anuradha M. Chenoy and Initiative for National Renewal and Empowerment of the People |year=1995 |title=The Scam: The Cover-up and Compromise |isbn=9788122407136 |publisher=Wiley Eastern |location=New Delhi |oclc=32698384

References

External links

*http://www.asianage.com/presentation/columnisthome/seema-mustafa.aspxDead link|date=August 2008
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