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		<summary type="html">&lt;p&gt;Made Pg&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;New page&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;div&gt;{{short description|Indian writer}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{good article}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2020}}&lt;br /&gt;
{{infobox officeholder&lt;br /&gt;
| office1     = [[Chairperson]] of Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board&lt;br /&gt;
| term_start1 = 2006&lt;br /&gt;
| party       = [[Image:Flag DMK.svg|20px]] [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]]&lt;br /&gt;
| birth_date  = {{birth year and age|1968}}&lt;br /&gt;
| term_end1   = 2011&lt;br /&gt;
| image       = SalmaDSC 0099.JPG&lt;br /&gt;
| office      = [[Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha]]&amp;lt;br /&amp;gt;from [[List of Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu]]&lt;br /&gt;
| term_start  = 25 July 2025&lt;br /&gt;
| term_end    =&lt;br /&gt;
| predecessor = [[M. M. Abdulla]], [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam|DMK]]&lt;br /&gt;
| successor   = &lt;br /&gt;
| office2     = [[Sarpanch|President]] of [[Ponnampatti]] [[Nagar panchayat|Town Council]]&lt;br /&gt;
| term_start2 = 2001&lt;br /&gt;
| term_end2   = 2006&lt;br /&gt;
| children    = 2&lt;br /&gt;
| spouse      = {{marriage |Malik||1988}}&lt;br /&gt;
| citizenship = [[India]]&lt;br /&gt;
| birth_name  = Rajathi Samsudeen&lt;br /&gt;
| birth_place = [[Thuvarankurichi]],&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;[[Tiruchirappalli district]],&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;[[Madras State]] (now&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;[[Tamil Nadu]]), India&lt;br /&gt;
| occupation  = Writer and Political activist&lt;br /&gt;
| awards      = Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia Award (2019) &lt;br /&gt;
}}&lt;br /&gt;
&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Rakkiaiah&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (alternatively &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Rokkiah&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, born &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Rajathi Samsudeen&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; in 1968&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Hussain|first=Sheikh Zakir|date=11 December 2013|title=Salma: Writing the poetry of freedom|url=http://twocircles.net/2013dec11/salma_writing_poetry_freedom.html|access-date=16 November 2020|website=[[Two Circles]]|language=en-US}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite news|last=Nainar|first=Nahla|date=11 February 2019|title=&amp;#039;Writing is an extremely political act&amp;#039;|language=en-IN|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/salma-poet-tamil-jaipur-literature-festival-kanhaiyyalal-sethia-award-nahla-nainar-women-feminism-dmk/article26236115.ece|access-date=16 November 2020|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130012/https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/salma-poet-tamil-jaipur-literature-festival-kanhaiyyalal-sethia-award-nahla-nainar-women-feminism-dmk/article26236115.ece|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;) is an [[Tamils|Indian Tamil]] writer, activist, and politician known by the [[pen name]] &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Salma&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039; and the [[nickname]] &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Rajathi&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite news|last=Anandan|first=S.|date=25 July 2015|title=Writer Salma eager to take another pen name|language=en-IN|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/writer-salma-eager-to-take-another-pen-name/article7462938.ece|access-date=16 November 2020|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510125940/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/writer-salma-eager-to-take-another-pen-name/article7462938.ece|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; and often referred to as &amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Rajathi Salma&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;#039;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Subramanian|first=Lakshmi|date=3 May 2015|title=Songs of fortitude|url=https://www.theweek.in/webworld/features/heroes/Poet-Rajathi-Salma.html|access-date=16 November 2020|website=[[The Week (India)|The Week]]|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510125941/https://www.theweek.in/webworld/features/heroes/Poet-Rajathi-Salma.html|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Her works have received international acclaim and she is renowned as a sensation in contemporary [[Tamil literature]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:7&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She is a Rajya Sabha member&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web |date=2025-05-29 |title=Acclaimed writer-activist Salma is DMK&amp;#039;s surprise pick for Rajya Sabha |url=https://kashmirreader.com/2025/05/29/acclaimed-writer-activist-salma-is-dmks-surprise-pick-for-rajya-sabha/?utm_source=chatgpt.com/ |access-date=2025-07-23 |website=Kashmir Reader |language=en-US}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;{{AI-retrieved source|date=March 2026|checked=no}} of the [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] and involved in [[Women&amp;#039;s rights|women&amp;#039;s]] and [[transgender rights]] activism.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:3&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite news|last=Sundaram|first=Kannan|date=6 May 2017|title=With poetry and a pen name|language=en-IN|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/with-poetry-and-a-pen-name/article18389582.ece|access-date=16 November 2020|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510125943/https://www.thehindu.com/books/books-authors/with-poetry-and-a-pen-name/article18389582.ece|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Between 2007 and 2011, she served as the chairperson of the State Social Welfare Board of [[Tamil Nadu]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|title=Salma {{!}} Author Profile|url=https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/authors/salma/|access-date=16 November 2020|publisher=[[Speaking Tiger Books]]|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510125943/https://www.speakingtigerbooks.com/authors/salma/|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Salma is also the founder of a non-government women&amp;#039;s rights organisation named &amp;quot;Your Hope is Remaining&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Biography ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== 1968–1994: Early life ===&lt;br /&gt;
Salma was born in the [[Thuvarankurichi]] near [[Tiruchirappalli]], [[Tamil Nadu]] to a conservative [[Rowther]] Muslim family.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; At a very early age, she became interested in reading. She was unable to pursue her interest in literature due to oppressive rules in her house which restricted her movement. On one occasion she was able to sneak out with a cousin and a male friend to watch a [[Malayalam language]] film, &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Avalude Ravukal]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, in the theater; the film depicted the life of a teenage prostitute although Salma was oblivious of the topic at the time. Upon finding out about the adventure, her parents were infuriated. They pulled her out of school before she turned 15 and secluded her at home. Her cousin and her friend did not face heavy consequences and eventually her friend began sneaking books to her from the village library. As a result, during her teen years Salma became an avid reader and writer. She was enamored with [[Russian literature]], having read the translated works of [[Fyodor Dostoevsky]] and [[Leo Tolstoy]], and her icons became figures like [[Nelson Mandela]] and [[Che Guevara]] instead of film stars.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
At the age of 13, Salma was betrothed to a cousin named Malik but was able to postpone the marriage until she was 19,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; when her mother persuaded her to marry by feigning a heart attack.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Following marriage, Salma was granted the name of Rokkiah Begum and had two children.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Her interest in literature continued in her married life and was seen as akin to insanity by her family.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:22&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Halarnkar|first=Samar|date=7 June 2018|title=Why 1,000 female paramilitary soldiers have no last name, and why that matters to India|url=https://scroll.in/article/863820/why-1000-female-paramilitary-soldiers-have-no-male-name-and-why-that-matters-to-india|access-date=16 November 2020|website=[[Scroll.in]]|language=en-US|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130007/https://scroll.in/article/863820/why-1000-female-paramilitary-soldiers-have-no-male-name-and-why-that-matters-to-india|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; At the age of 22, Salma wrote her first poem, &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Oppandham&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, as an outlet for her frustration and anger with her situation.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Forced to hide her passion from her family, she would write while sitting on the toilet, on pieces of paper ripped from calendars and notebooks.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:22&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Naidoo|first=Shanthini|date=5 November 2017|title=IN PICTURES: In praise of India&amp;#039;s human goddesses|url=https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2017-11-05-in-pictures-in-praise-of-indias-human-goddesses/|access-date=16 November 2020|website=[[Times Live]]|language=en-ZA|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510125957/https://www.timeslive.co.za/sunday-times/lifestyle/2017-11-05-in-pictures-in-praise-of-indias-human-goddesses/|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; She was subjected to abuse by her husband because of her desire to write and he would often destroy her work if he found it. Her mother eventually helped her by smuggling out poems from her home and getting them published in a Tamil weekly.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== 1994–2006: Literary career and political debut ===&lt;br /&gt;
Around 1994–98, Salma had become a well-known figure in Tamil literary circles. She was signed with the Kalachuvadu publishing house and was invited to a number of literary conventions around Tamil Nadu which she visited under the guise of medical visits. Since a woman travelling alone was frowned upon in her social setting, her mother accompanied her on her first event in the city of [[Chennai]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:3&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Her family, however, continued to be apprehensive of her activities and regarded them as subversive.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:3&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Her poems were described as unconventional as they covered social issues and did not refrain from mentioning women&amp;#039;s sexuality, which eventually invoked the wrath of the social orthodoxy in her conservative neighbourhood as well as of her family, especially as she wrote poetry under her birth name and nickname of Rajathi.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Their reaction caused her to adopt the pen name of Salma,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:22&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; appropriated from a character in a [[Kahlil Gibran]] novel.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; She published her first anthology of poems,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Oru Malaiyum, Innoru Malaiyum&amp;#039;&amp;#039; under this name in 2000.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; In the same year, she was invited to a major three-day literary event called the World Tamil Conference set in Chennai. She attended, but refused to go on stage fearing that if a picture were to be published in the press it would raise controversy in her village and family. She also began writing a novel, which she completed by 2001 but was hesitant about publishing.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:3&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In 2001, Salma contested the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Panchayati raj|panchayat]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (local body) elections in [[Ponnampatti]] and was subsequently elected as the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;panchayat&amp;#039;&amp;#039; leader.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; In her testimony she states that her family was not opposed to her contesting as it was a constituency reserved for women and they intended to control it through her; but instead she carved out an opportunity for herself.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Muralidharan|first=Kavitha|date=16 December 2019|title=Tamil Nadu&amp;#039;s Parties Have Found a Time-Worn Solution to the 50% Women&amp;#039;s Reservation &amp;#039;Problem&amp;#039;|url=https://thewire.in/politics/tamil-nadu-election-women-quota|access-date=16 November 2020|website=[[The Wire (India)|The Wire]]|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510125942/https://thewire.in/politics/tamil-nadu-election-women-quota|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; She was able to eventually leverage her position and become independent as she began serving as an elected official, chairing meetings and educating women in her community. In 2002, she was invited to an international women&amp;#039;s rights conference held in [[Sri Lanka]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; She published her second anthology of poems, &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Devathai&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, in 2003,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; and acceded to publishing her novel,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:3&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Irandaam Jaamangalin Kadhai&amp;#039;&amp;#039; in 2004.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; The novel was described as a semi-autobiographical work,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:4&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; and depicted the life and hardships faced by a young girl called Rabia born in an orthodox Muslim minority community who staunchly clung to their traditions and ritual observance.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|date=19 July 2009|title=A seminal novel|url=https://www.dawn.com/news/827672/a-seminal-novel|access-date=17 November 2020|website=[[Dawn (newspaper)|Dawn]]|language=en|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130008/https://www.dawn.com/news/827672/a-seminal-novel|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Salma states that she was impressed by the chief minister [[Karunanidhi]], whom she calls the &amp;quot;poet of progress&amp;quot; for having instituted the 50% reservation quota for women in local body elections and for paying attention to women&amp;#039;s issues, which ultimately led her to join the [[Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam]] in 2004.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Salma|date=8 August 2018|title=Karunanidhi: The Poet of Progress|url=https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/karunanidhi-the-poet-of-progress/314670|access-date=16 November 2020|website=[[Outlook India]]|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130015/https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/karunanidhi-the-poet-of-progress/314670|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; After joining the party, she was appointed as the deputy secretary of the party&amp;#039;s women&amp;#039;s wing.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; In the [[2006 Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly election]], the party nominated her to contest as the candidate from the [[Marungapuri (state assembly constituency)|Marungapuri constituency]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; She lost the election by 1,200 votes, polling at 55,378 votes cast in her favor against 57,910 votes cast in favor of the winning candidate.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|title=Tamil Nadu 2006|url=https://old.eci.gov.in/files/file/3339-tamil-nadu-2006/|website=[[Election Commission of India]]|access-date=16 November 2020|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130015/https://eci.gov.in/files/file/3339-tamil-nadu-2006/|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; During the campaigning, her opponent had circulated sexually explicit material from her writings in an attempt to swing some voters in his favor.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Some of her male party workers had also reportedly hindered the campaigning efforts, to which she had later exclaimed that &amp;quot;some things never change for women&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== 2006–Present: Later career ===&lt;br /&gt;
Despite the loss, she was appointed as the chairperson of the State Social Welfare Trust, as the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was able to attain a majority in the [[Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly]] and form a government.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:3&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; During her tenure as chairperson, Salma was noted for her advocacy for the establishment of a number of welfare schemes and for launching several initiatives which were considered landmark schemes for transgender rights.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:2&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite news|date=30 December 2013|title=Books Reviews (Authors): Salma|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/books/salma/article5518608.ece|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116110934/https://www.thehindu.com/books/salma/article5518608.ece|archive-date=16 November 2020|issn=0971-751X}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; She was also instrumental in launching an [[awareness campaign]] for the Domestic Violence Act and holding training programmes among police personnel, counselors, judges and women. In 2010, Salma founded the Chennai-based [[non-government organisation]] &amp;quot;Your Hope is Remaining&amp;quot;, and began working as a social worker among rural women in an effort to promote [[gender equality]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; In 2011, she lost her position as the chairperson of the State Social Welfare Trust when the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam was voted out of power.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:4&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Ramnath|first=Nandini|date=23 February 2013|title=Documentary {{!}} Endurance test|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/HI3GjsFP8Zq7MRdhoZdNCO/Documentary--Endurance-test.html|access-date=16 November 2020|website=[[Livemint]]|language=en|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130024/https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/HI3GjsFP8Zq7MRdhoZdNCO/Documentary--Endurance-test.html|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
In the meantime, her anthology of short stories &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Saabam&amp;#039;&amp;#039; was published in 2009,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:8&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Yoosuf Ali|first=Shameela|date=22 August 2016|title=Rajathi Salma on a Journey of Courage and Creativity|url=https://www.desiblitz.com/content/rajathi-salma-journey-courage-creativity|access-date=2 December 2020|website=DESIblitz|language=en|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130016/https://www.desiblitz.com/content/rajathi-salma-journey-courage-creativity|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; which was translated by N Kalyan Raman into English as &amp;#039;&amp;#039;The Curse: Stories.&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:11&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Shekar|first=Anjana|date=12 November 2020|title=Women of many shades: Salma speaks on her new book &amp;#039;The Curse: Stories&amp;#039;|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/women-many-shades-salma-speaks-her-new-book-curse-stories-137468|access-date=2 December 2020|website=[[The News Minute]]|language=en|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130009/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/women-many-shades-salma-speaks-her-new-book-curse-stories-137468|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In 2016, she published her second novel &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Manaamiyangal,&amp;#039;&amp;#039;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:8&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; which narrated the parallel lives of two women named Mehar and Parveen.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:9&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Bhasin|first=Simar|date=27 November 2020|title=Review: Women, Dreaming by Salma|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/review-women-dreaming-by-salma/story-Z2zcxJtek6rxKPVwSqFGuN.html|access-date=2 December 2020|website=[[Hindustan Times]]|language=en|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130013/https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/review-women-dreaming-by-salma/story-Z2zcxJtek6rxKPVwSqFGuN.html|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:10&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|date=25 October 2020|title=Read Of The Week (Oct 25th to Oct 31st)|url=https://www.deccanherald.com/sunday-herald/sunday-herald-books/read-of-the-week-oct-25th-to-oct-31st-905939.html|website=[[Deccan Herald]]|language=en|access-date=2 December 2020|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510125944/https://www.deccanherald.com/sunday-herald/sunday-herald-books/read-of-the-week-oct-25th-to-oct-31st-905939.html|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; In a review by the &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Hindustan Times]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, the novel was described as having captured [[Hélène Cixous]]&amp;#039;s &amp;quot;feminine practice of writing&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:9&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; It was translated from Tamil to English by [[Meena Kandasamy]] under the title of &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Women, Dreaming&amp;#039;&amp;#039;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:10&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Social and political beliefs ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== On women&amp;#039;s issues and feminism ===&lt;br /&gt;
Salma holds the position that writing itself is a political act as one draws from society which in turn becomes a means of conveying political thought.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Her writings themselves have been described on multiple occasions as one capturing a feminine perspective in them.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:11&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:9&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; According to her, the popular notion of a &amp;quot;well-defined morality&amp;quot; for a woman leads to the suppression of her body and mind, and that from her perspective, morality is about love, about whether one prioritises making people happy and not hurting them.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:6&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite news|last=Rawther|first=Soyesh H.|date=6 January 2010|title=Salma beyond words|language=en-IN|work=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/arts/Salma-beyond-words/article16836414.ece|access-date=16 November 2020|issn=0971-751X|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510125945/https://www.thehindu.com/arts/Salma-beyond-words/article16836414.ece|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; She states that women are expected to get married and become homemakers, whereas looking after the family should be the joint responsibility of both partners,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; and adds that women need the freedom to choose and act without fear, and that they do not need a man&amp;#039;s permission to do so.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:6&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Regarding face covering for women, she has taken the position that dressing is a personal choice of women and that no one has the right to dictate what one can or can not wear.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:13&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Rao|first=Manasa|date=28 January 2020|title=BJP&amp;#039;s Pon Radhakrishnan seeks ban on covering faces, gets slammed for Islamophobia|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/bjp-s-pon-radhakrishnan-seeks-ban-covering-faces-gets-slammed-islamophobia-117010|access-date=2 December 2020|website=[[The News Minute]]|language=en|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130016/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/bjp-s-pon-radhakrishnan-seeks-ban-covering-faces-gets-slammed-islamophobia-117010|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On asked whether she considers herself a [[Feminism|feminist]], Salma states that she does not identify herself as a feminist but is not opposed to being called one.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:6&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; According to her, while women have many more opportunities compared to the past, they still are not seen at equals of men by society at large. She has also come out in support of the [[MeToo movement in India]], stating that it was long overdue and has given women the courage to speak up against [[workplace harassment]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Since 2015, Salma has come out in explicit support for the LGBT movement in India as well.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== On religious conservatism ===&lt;br /&gt;
Salma has been severely critical of Muslim religious orthodoxy in both her writing and advocacy.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; In particular, she has condemned the [[All India Muslim Personal Law Board]] for enabling misogynistic attitudes and the tradition of [[triple talaq]] to persist among the Muslim community in India.&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Salma|date=26 July 2017|title=Speaking up for Muslim women|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/speaking-up-for-muslim-women-triple-talaq-muslim-personal-law-board-islamic-laws-4762811/|access-date=2 December 2020|website=[[The Indian Express]]|language=en|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510125945/https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/speaking-up-for-muslim-women-triple-talaq-muslim-personal-law-board-islamic-laws-4762811/|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; According to her, religious fundamentalist leaders have attempted to appropriate culture as a whole and in the process resorted to intimidation of writers such as [[Taslima Nasrin]], [[M. F. Husain]] and [[Salman Rushdie]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
She also holds that democracy in India is faltering as dissidents are being characterised as &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[Urban Naxals]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; and targeted with violence and state repression.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Singh|first=Smita|date=3 March 2020|title=The Badass Women 2020 List is Out|url=https://www.shethepeople.tv/top-stories/badass-women-2020-shethepeople/|access-date=2 December 2020|website=SheThePeople.TV|language=en-US|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130027/https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=true&amp;amp;embedId=twitter-widget-4&amp;amp;features=eyJ0ZndfZXhwZXJpbWVudHNfY29va2llX2V4cGlyYXRpb24iOnsiYnVja2V0IjoxMjA5NjAwLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfSwidGZ3X2hvcml6b25fdHdlZXRfZW1iZWRfOTU1NSI6eyJidWNrZXQiOiJodGUiLCJ2ZXJzaW9uIjpudWxsfX0%3D&amp;amp;frame=false&amp;amp;hideCard=false&amp;amp;hideThread=false&amp;amp;id=1390744013234491394&amp;amp;lang=en&amp;amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.shethepeople.tv%2Fhome-top-video%2Fbadass-women-2020-shethepeople%2F&amp;amp;sessionId=a6fa37f195164714dcbd65245673084a0fa1966f&amp;amp;theme=light&amp;amp;widgetsVersion=82e1070%3A1619632193066&amp;amp;width=500px|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Salma has attributed the rise of the [[Bharatiya Janata Party]] as the reason for increase in caste based violence in Tamil Nadu,&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; accused the party of attempting to ferment hatred against every Muslims&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:13&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; and of attempting to control culture by resorting to the same tactics by targeting artists like [[Perumal Murugan]], Puliyoor Murugesan, [[Gunasekaran Sundarraj]] and [[Khushbu Sundar|Khushbu]].&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:0&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Reception, recognition, and awards ==&lt;br /&gt;
Salma&amp;#039;s life has been extensively documented by [[Kim Longinotto]] in her documentary &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Salma&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, which is described as a journey of an under-educated housewife who was subjected to an effective form of house arrest and became an acclaimed Tamil literary figure. Longinotto herself described Salma as an &amp;quot;extraordinary beacon of hope&amp;quot;.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:4&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; The documentary, which was screened in 2013, received several awards and was seen in eleven countries.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
The Indian magazine &amp;#039;&amp;#039;[[The Week (Indian magazine)|The Week]]&amp;#039;&amp;#039; accorded Salma the title of &amp;quot;Symbol of Perseverance&amp;quot; in one of its feature articles.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:022&amp;quot; /&amp;gt; Her works have been translated by the acclaimed [[Lakshmi Holmström]] and featured along with the likes of [[Sukirtharani]], [[Malathi Maitri]], and [[Kutti Revathi]].&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Sivapriya|first=R.|date=10 May 2016|title=Reading Lakshmi Holmström (1935–2016), whose translations took Tamil literature to world readers|url=http://scroll.in/article/807825/reading-lakshmi-holmstrom-1935-2016-whose-translations-took-tamil-literature-to-world-readers|access-date=17 November 2020|website=[[Scroll.in]]|language=en-US|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130020/https://scroll.in/article/807825/reading-lakshmi-holmstrom-1935-2016-whose-translations-took-tamil-literature-to-world-readers|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Swami|first=Sridala|date=16 March 2013|title=Book Review {{!}} Wild Girls Wicked Words|url=https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/BpFGmZOrwdKyaAeyVmALHM/Book-Review--Wild-Girls-Wicked-Words.html|access-date=18 November 2020|website=[[Livemint]]|language=en|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510130034/https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/BpFGmZOrwdKyaAeyVmALHM/Book-Review--Wild-Girls-Wicked-Words.html|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt; Salma received the fourth edition of the Mahakavi Kanhaiyalal Sethia Award at the [[Jaipur Literature Festival]] in 2019.&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:12&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
== Bibliography ==&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Anthology of poems ===&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Oru Maalaiyum Innoru Maalaiyum,&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;An Evening and Another Evening,&amp;#039;&amp;#039; 2000)&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:5&amp;quot;&amp;gt;{{Cite web|last=Subramaniam|first=Arundhathi|date=1 December 2006|title=Salma (poet) - India|url=https://www.poetryinternational.org/pi/poet/8126/Salma/en/tile|access-date=16 November 2020|website=[[Poetry International Web]]|archive-date=10 May 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510125955/https://www.poetryinternational.org/pi/poet/8126/Salma/en/tile|url-status=live}}&amp;lt;/ref&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Pachchai Devathai,&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Green Angel,&amp;#039;&amp;#039; 2003)&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:5&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Novels ===&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Irandaam Jaamangalin Kathai,&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;The Hours Past Midnight,&amp;#039;&amp;#039; 2004)&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:5&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
*&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Manaamiyangal&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (&amp;#039;&amp;#039;Dreams&amp;#039;&amp;#039;, 2016)&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
=== Collections ===&lt;br /&gt;
* &amp;#039;&amp;#039;Sabaam&amp;#039;&amp;#039; (Curses, 2009 &amp;amp; 2012)&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:1&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&amp;lt;ref name=&amp;quot;:8&amp;quot; /&amp;gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
==References==&lt;br /&gt;
{{reflist}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{authority control}}&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
{{DEFAULTSORT:Salma}}&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:1968 births]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Living people]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Tamil poets]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Tamil Muslims]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:21st-century Indian writers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:20th-century Indian writers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:21st-century Indian women writers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:20th-century Indian women writers]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Women writers from Tamil Nadu]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam politicians]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Rajya Sabha members from Tamil Nadu]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Women members of the Rajya Sabha]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:Women in Tamil Nadu politics]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:21st-century Indian politicians]]&lt;br /&gt;
[[Category:21st-century Indian women politicians]]&lt;/div&gt;</summary>
		<author><name>GJSAnnie74</name></author>
	</entry>
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