Sipu Jha
HYDERABAD: From the narrow lanes of Malakpet to the corridors of power in Virginia, Ghazala Firdous Hashmi, a 61-year-old Democrat, has scripted a story of grit, intellect, and inspiration. She has become the first Muslim woman, the first person of Indian origin, and the first South Asian American to be elected lieutenant governor of Virginia.Born in 1964, Ghazala was just four when her parents, Zia and Tanveer Hashmi, moved from Hyderabad to the United States. The family first settled in Georgia, where she grew up and pursued her education. Her mother, an alumna of Osmania University and Koti Women’s College, was a teacher, while her father, a graduate of Aligarh Muslim University, completed his PhD in international relations in the US.
Even after decades abroad, Ghazala, in various media interviews, said her roots remain in Hyderabad, where her relatives still live. In 2019, she made headlines by becoming the first Muslim woman to be elected to the Virginia state senate, representing the 10th district, a historic prelude to her latest achievement.Chief minister A Revanth Reddy congratulated her on the landmark victory, calling it a proud moment for Hyderabad. “Ghazala Hashmi, who was born in Hyderabad and later settled in the US, has achieved a remarkable milestone. I wish her continued success and greater accomplishments in public service,” he said in a message.Former IT minister KT Rama Rao also hailed her journey, posting on social media: “This is massive! From Malakpet to Virginia… Congratulations to Ghazala Hashmi on becoming the first Indian-American Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. There is nothing more beautiful than democracies celebrating diversity (sic).”Her official website recounts her early years in Georgia: “Ghazala grew up in a small college town at a time when public schools were being desegregated. She saw firsthand how communities could be built through dialogue that bridged cultural and racial divides.”A scholar by training, she graduated as valedictorian from high school, earned her BA with honours from Georgia Southern University, and later completed a PhD in American literature from Emory University, Atlanta.Since 1991 Ghazala and her husband, Azhar Rafiq, have lived in Richmond, Virginia, where she spent three decades in academia — teaching at the University of Richmond and later at Reynolds Community College, where she founded the centre for excellence in teaching and learning. The couple’s two daughters are University of Virginia graduates.Independent observers said her journey from a child in Malakpet to Virginia’s lieutenant governor is more than a personal triumph, it is a testament to the power of education and diversity.
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