Salma Mahmuda [Begum Tasaddaque Husain]

Salma Mahmuda, daughter of Mian Fazal Ilahi Bedil, was born in August 1905 at Gujranwala. Brought up and educated in the best traditions of a respectable Gakkhar family, and in a scholarly atmosphere the Begum, early in life, began to understand the value of art and literature. In 1922, she was married to Dr. Tasadduque Husain, bar-at-law.

Even after her marriage she continued to study and passed the B.A. examination from the University of the Punjab. With the formation of the Punjab provincial women's sub-committee, she became its most active member and in 1940, she was elected one of its secretaries. She helped in founding girls' primary schools and industrial homes at Lahore.

In 1941, she was nominated on the council of the All-India Muslim League and in the following year, she was elected secretary of the Punjab provincial women's sub-committee. In April 1943, the Begum was taken on the central sub-committee of the All-India Muslim League. She played a leading part in the Bengal Relief Fund Committee. In 1944, she was nominated member of the working committee of the Punjab provincial Muslim League.

She rendered valuable services during the elections of 1946 and also successfully contested on the Muslim League ticket for the Punjab provincial assembly seat from the inner Lahore constituency winning by an overwhelming majority of votes. The same year she was again taken on the Working Committee of the Punjab provincial Muslim League.

She worked very hard during the Bihar riots, helping the Bihar refugees in their camps, and staying for nearly two months in the affected area. She brought refugees from Bihar and provided accommodation to many of them at her residence.

In 1947, during the civil disobedience movement, as secretary of the women's sub-committee, she was heavily occupied with the organisation and management of women's processions. She participated in some processions and was eventually arrested along with Muslim League members of the punjab assembly. Her activities did not remain confined to the Punjab, but she also took personal interest in the affairs of the other provinces. When the civil disobedience movement spread to the N.W.F.P., she went there with her colleagues and assisted in the organisation of processions.

During the partition riots, she was appointed refugee relief secretary in the provincial Muslim League office and her duties were to receive the refugees from other areas and make arrangements for their boarding and lodging in Walton and other camps.

In the field of literature, she has attained a remarkable position as a writer and a poet. Her poems and short stories have appeared in the leading Urdu journals and the translation of 'Cleopatra' into Urdu is one of her achievements.