Interview with Saima Choudhri, April 6, 2010

Interview Summary

This interview with poet Saima Choudhri begins with a discussion of her background and an overview of both her religious and secular education. She then talks about educating Muslim women and girls in general, including discussion of a relative who started a school for Muslim girls. Next, Choudhri discusses her poetry, which she began to write when she was in the sixth class. Her work primarily focuses on her emotions, and are geared towards a young audience. Choudhri then talks about her experiences in Kolkata (India) during the partition of India, including incidents of communal violence. She briefly talks about the work of her parents, who supported the founding of Pakistan. Choudhri also talks at length about her decision to support an independent Bangladesh. She talks about her experiences in the Bangladeshi War of Liberation (also known as the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971). Finally, she ends with a discussion of the discrimination that East Pakistanis faced before Bangladesh gained its independence.

Interview Keyword

Poets Poetry Partition of India War of Liberation Bangladesh Bengalis Education Muslim Women

Interview LC Subject

Muslim Women Poets Poetry Bangladesh Education Pakistan--History India--History India--History--Partition, 1947 Women Bangladesh--History

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries.