Hyderabad: In a brief but heartfelt virtual homecoming, Virginia’s Lieutenant Governor-elect Ghazala Hashmi connected with members of the Malakpet community, the locality where she was born.
Virtual Homecoming
Recalling her childhood in the neighbourhood and speaking about how those experiences shaped her path into public service in the United States, Hashmi reconnected with the Malakpet community on Sunday through an interaction that drew participation from families and professionals across India, the Gulf, and the US. The session was organised by her uncle, Tariq Munir, an Osmania University alumnus based in Scotland, with Zafar Akber from Dubai moderating the discussion.
Hashmi opened the interaction by acknowledging the sense of homecoming the gathering created. “Assalamu alaikum, and thank you so much to everybody who is watching this,” she said. “It’s wonderful to connect with you and to see so many family and friends from Malakpet. Malakpet is very near and dear to each of us, and the memories I have from my childhood, growing up with my nana and nani and my Tariq Mamu, have always been very special to me.”
Classroom to Capitol
Reflecting on her entry into American politics, Hashmi explained that she had taught American literature in Richmond before deciding to run for office. “I decided to run for the first time in 2019 because of the election of Donald Trump and the bigotry that he was running on,” she said.
“One of the critical policy areas that truly concerned me was his desire to attack Muslims. The idea that we would track and document individuals on the basis of their faith was something unheard of and deeply troubling.”
Against all odds
She recalled that her first race for the Virginia Senate was an uphill contest. “I was running for a seat that no Democrat had won in 40 years, and I was running as an immigrant and as a Muslim,” she said.
“A lot of people told me I didn’t have the political experience and that I wasn’t the right kind of candidate. But I am stubborn. I like a challenge.”
Hashmi said her campaign built a broad coalition. “I actually don’t have many constituents who are Muslim,” she noted. “Most of my coalition was Black, White, and Hispanic, and we were able to successfully defeat the incumbent.”
A historic victory
She also described her 20-month campaign for Lieutenant Governor. “A lot of people discounted my ability to win the Democratic primary,” she said.
“But again, I’m stubborn. And we were able to successfully defeat the five other opponents.”
On her general election victory, she added, “My race was won by over eleven points, which is a decisive sign that Virginia is anxious for strong leadership.” She also pointed out the significance of the broader result. “For the first time in Virginia’s history, we elected a woman Governor. Two women leading at the top is new and remarkable for the state.”
Honouring family legacy
During the interaction, Hashmi congratulated author Syed Khaled Shahbaaz for his work on The Kohinoors and appreciated him for including her profile in the forthcoming second volume.
An emotional moment followed when Zafar Akber referred to the biography he had written on her grandfather, late Raja Mohiuddin. Hashmi paused before responding. “I get very emotional thinking about the long legacy of my family,” she said. “Everything I do, I do in honour of my nana, my nani, my father, and my mother. Their work for social justice and their values have guided me.”
The meeting was attended by Rayees Akbar, Toufeeq Nagad, Syed Fazil Hussain Shamshad, Dr Syed Fazil Hussain Parvez, Muzaffar Ali Khan, A. Ramesh, Masood Akbar Yahya, Aafaq Mateen, and several other members of the Malakpet community and diaspora.
Hashmi closed the session by thanking participants for their support. “Thank you all for your well-wishes and dua. I truly appreciate it,” she said.
The online interaction marked the 282nd meeting of the Malakpet Chabutra Zoom series that started as a weekly routine for virtual meet-up during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Syed Khaled Shahbaaz is a Yudhvir Gold Medalist in Journalism from Osmania University. He also holds a Bachelors in Computer Science & Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Hyderabad.
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