Choudhary Jameela: A beacon of development

Younus Rashid

“Real empowerment is when a woman is empowered politically. There is always a good scope for women to join politics, especially tribal women. Our community women usually prefer to remain away due to shyness, which should be put aside, and they should come forward because we have the least representation of tribal women, says Choudhury Jameela.”
Younus Rashid
In the picturesque region of Manzgam, Kulgam, an extraordinary tale of women’s empowerment unfolds. Meet Chowdhary Jameela, a 27-year-old graduate whose foray into politics marked a turning point for her community. Facing the unique challenges that come with being a female politician, Jameela not only persevered but emerged as a beacon of development, earning a reputation as one of the most accomplished members in her community.
Coming from a tribal family, Jameela chose one of the most challenging endeavors to forge her path forward. While the family had a political background, none in the new generation, except her, chose to continue the legacy and be the voice of the community as her father had been.
“I started my career in politics back in 2020, just as I was about to begin my Post Graduation at Kashmir University. Choosing politics might be considered a bit unconventional, but one should pursue their passion. The local seat was reserved for the ST community. People thronged to our home and demanded that we carry forward the mission of being people’s representative,” Jameela said.
She contested her election and won it. This ignited her passion to connect with people at the grassroots and be the voice of the remote area’s residents.
When asked about her family’s support on this journey, she said, “My family has provided excellent support, especially my father.”
Jameela’s tenure as a District Development Council (DDC) Member has been defined by a steadfast commitment to uplifting her people. The crowning achievement of her term came with the transformation of the local primary hospital. With limited resources at her disposal, Jameela orchestrated a remarkable modernization effort, revolutionizing healthcare accessibility for the community. Today, the facility stands as a symbol of hope, delivering quality care to those in need right at their doorsteps.
“Apart from the development in the health sector, my focus has been on involving the youth in sports. We have received great support from Kulgam Administration and the Rural Development Department in working towards enhancing better sports facilities. Recognizing the potential in the community’s youth, we championed the establishment of playfields for sports activities,” she said.
In addition to healthcare, we worked diligently on improving electricity infrastructure in the area. We introduced new lines, transformers, LT, and HT improvements, with a significant portion of my funds allocated for the betterment of electricity.
“I would like to give you an example of a play field (Lubdar Playfield) which was in a shabby condition. I took it up with the district administration, and with the attention of the Deputy Commissioner and Rural Development Department, they allocated 40 lakhs for its improvement. Later, I submitted a representation to the chief secretary, which received approval, and approximately one crore will be further spent on the playfield to make it excellent,” she said.
Previously, there wasn’t much attention given to sports infrastructure, but now the trend has shifted, and crores are being invested in sports, which is a welcome move, she said.
“In the education sector, we introduced smart classrooms in tribal areas. Road connectivity was also improved in tribal areas.
Regarding the recently introduced Woman Reservation Bill in Parliament she said, “The recent ‘Woman Reservation Bill’ is a welcome step, and we are hopeful that it will become an Act soon. The ratio of women politicians should increase in parliament. It should have come a long way ago. The reservation for the tribal community in the DDC elections was a brilliant step from the government.
Jameela says, it’s not tough when you are dedicated and have the passion to work for any community. We have always been committed to working for the community. The majority of the population in this constituency is tribal. We worked to bring basic amenities to the community as much as we could.
“My message would be that women should come and join. Real empowerment is when a woman is empowered politically. There is always a good scope for women to join politics, especially tribal women. Our community women usually prefer to remain away due to shyness, which should be put aside, and they should come forward because we have the least representation of tribal women,” she added.

(The write-up has been reproduced with author’s proper permission)