Ashes to Glory: Born When Gujarat was burning in 2002, Auto Driver’s Daughter Aces Board Exams

She was born in the year that Gujarat witnessed one of the most horrific spree of mass killings since Partition. Today, Afrin Sheikh, all of 16 years old, represents a tenacity of spirit and verve for life that has made her famous. She is one of the five toppers of the class X board exams of the Gujarat Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board (GSHSEB), scoring a phenomenal 98.31% marks.

Her family lives in Juhapura, a locality in Ahmedabad. Her proud father Sheikh Mohammad Hanzala is an auto rickshaw driver who earns just Rs 500-700 a day. He has rebuilt his life through his own efforts, working day and night, over the ashes of the 2002 trauma. He and his family didn’t have any resources, yet they steadfastly gave Afrin the opportunity to study. And she has won the battle for them.

Aafrin, who studied at FD High School at Juhapura, wants to pursue MBBS. Regular studies, hard work and parent's support are some of the reasons she credits her success to.

“I am extremely happy with the results. Now, I will study life sciences as I want to become a doctor. Nobody in my family has pursued this career and I am always inspired by the way doctors help the people heal their wounds,” she told Newsclick.

Achieving success at the very first step of her career was not at all an easy task. Financial constraints always created hurdles for her.

“I could not take tuitions because of the limited financial resources. I had to put in extra effort to overcome the problem. I religiously attended each and every classes and made sure I took full advantage of the subject teachers – who were very helpful – in the school. The competition grew in class X and I had to take a tuition,” said Aafrin.

Aafrin’s father, Sheikh Mohammad Hanzala said he always encouraged her to study. “She is a bright student and has always done well. Her hard work and capability always motivated me to spend on her studies and provide the infrastructure she needs. I did what I could do in my limited income. Meeting the expenses of her education is a struggle due to limited earnings. I nurture a family of four and will do all that I can to educate my daughter and fulfill her dream of becoming a doctor. I will do what I can to ensure pursue she pursues a career of her choice,” he told Newsclick.

Situated seven kilometres from the city centre of Ahmedabad, the prosperous economic and political capital of Gujarat, Juhapura locality is a symbol of alienation of the minority community. Juhapura is the densest concentration (over 4 lakh people) of Muslims in one place in Gujarat. It is deprived of basic infrastructure and public services.

Post 2002, the Muslim community has apparently turned inwards, focusing on education and trying to rebuild businesses. Several professionals have started a group called Rising Indians to bring Muslims into the mainstream and train them in leadership skills.

Hanzala, who survived the communal pogrom, says, “After 2002, Muslims gave up on liquor trade and other such activities and turned squarely to education. Today for Gujarati Muslims, it’s education, education and education. That’s our focus.”