{{Use British English|date=August 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2014}}
{{Short description|Indian journalist (born 1955)}} {{Infobox person | name = Seema Mustafa | image = File:Mohd. Hamid Ansari releasing a book entitled “Azadi’s Daughter”, authored by Ms. Seema Mustafa, in New Delhi on November 09, 2012. The former Chief Election Commissioner, Dr. S.Y. Quraishi is also seen.jpg | caption = Seema Mustafa, second right, at a book release function | native_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|20 April 1955}} | birth_place = India | education = | alma_mater = | occupation = {{hlist|Journalist}} | years_active = | employer = | notable_works = ''Azadi's daughter'' | title = | awards = | website = | spouse = | children = 2 | relatives = {{ubl|Anis Kidwai (grandmother)|Ayesha Kidwai (cousin)}} }} '''Seema Mustafa''' (born 20 April 1955) is an Indian print and television journalist. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of The Citizen, a digital newspaper she founded. She is the elected president of the Editors Guild of India, since 16 October 2020.
==Background and education== Seema Mustafa was born in Delhi to a muslim family from Uttar Pradesh. Her father, Syed Mustafa, was an officer in the Indian Army. Her mother was the daughter of Shafi Ahmed Kidwai, brother of Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, a freedom fighter and Congress politician.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/what-seema-mustafa-s-memoir-azadi-s-daughter-tells-you-about-indian-muslims/story-MzgRwqXt1ElZjazFCaWAyJ.html|title=What Seema Mustafa's memoir, Azadi's Daughter, tells you about Indian Muslims|date=16 August 2017|website=Hindustan Times}}</ref> Shafi Ahmed Kidwai, who lived in Mussoorie, was killed in 1947, at the time of the partition of India.<ref>[http://kafila.org/2011/10/11/the-unspeakable-horrors-of-delhi-1947-49/ Kafila]</ref> His wife Anis Kidwai (Seema's maternal grandmother) was later made a Rajya Sabha MP belonging to the Congress party.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/pre_member/1952_2003/k.pdf|title=rajyasabha.nic.in}}</ref>
Mustafa has two elder brothers, S.P. Mustafa (known as "Bobby"), group treasurer of Hindustan Unilever,<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=http://www.financialexpress.com/news/Mustafa-Appointed-HLL-Treasurer-M&A-Head/48617/ |title=Financial Express, Mustafa Appointed Treasure M&A Head}}</ref> and Kamal Mustafa, now retired but formerly the Head of Global M&A of Citibank.<ref>{{cite mailing list |url=http://www.business.uconn.edu/cms/p566/a59 |title=Kamal Mustafa Biography |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618115152/http://www.business.uconn.edu/cms/p566/a59 |archivedate=18 June 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Ayesha Kidwai, a professor of linguistics at JNU and a feminist activist, is her first cousin.<ref>[http://kafila.org/2011/10/11/the-unspeakable-horrors-of-delhi-1947-49/ Kafila]</ref> Seema's mother and Ayesha's father were siblings.{{Citation needed|date= February 2018}}
Mustafa graduated with a BA in political science from Lucknow University in Uttar Pradesh.<ref>{{cite news |title=Play on thumri queen Begum Akhtar |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/lucknow/Play-on-thumri-queen-Begum-Akhtar/articleshow/929624.cms |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121016043935/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2004-11-21/lucknow/27149605_1_ram-kumar-bhargava-alumni-counselling-sessions |url-status=live |archive-date=16 October 2012 |work=The Times of India |date=21 November 2004 |access-date=11 August 2008}}</ref>
==Career== Mustafa began her career in journalism with The Pioneer (a Lucknow-based newspaper), moved to The Patriot in 1979, and worked for several other Indian publications, including ''The Telegraph'' and ''Indian Express'' before joining the ''Asian Age'' in 1997 as its political editor and Delhi bureau chief.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.sunday-guardian.com/profile/seema-mustafa|title=Profile|website=sunday-guardian.com|access-date=2019-05-25|archive-date=23 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523075544/http://www.sunday-guardian.com/profile/seema-mustafa|url-status=dead}}</ref>
While with the ''Asian Age,'' Mustafa received the prestigious "Prem Bhatia Award for Excellence in Political Reporting and Analysis" in 1999 for her coverage of the Kargil war. She also wrote a weekly op-ed column which was syndicated to several other newspapers, including ''The Deccan Chronicle'' of Bangalore and ''The Dawn,'' a Pakistani newspaper.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thecitizen.in//index.php/en/contributer/detail/seema-mustafa|title=The Citizen – Independent Journalism {{!}} Indian News|website=The Citizen|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-25|archive-date=25 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525071804/https://www.thecitizen.in//index.php/en/contributer/detail/seema-mustafa|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2008, she wrote an op-ed that was uncharacteristically critical of the Congress party. The article denounced the Indo-US Nuclear Deal specifically and the congress-led government in general for seeking friendly relations with the George W. Bush administration.{{Citation needed|date= February 2018}}. Although the intemperance of her views and language elicited criticism in the Indian media, MJ Akbar, founding editor of ''The Asian Age'', defended Mustafa strongly and the newspaper propagated the same views as hers on its pages. Ultimately, M.J. Akbar and Mustafa were both sacked from ''The Asian Age.''{{Citation needed|date= February 2018}}
After leaving the Asian Age in 2008, Mustafa worked as Resident Editor of Covert, a fortnightly left-wing political magazine. In January 2010, her mentor M.J. Akbar launched The Sunday Guardian, a weekly newspaper, and Mustafa joined him as Resident Editor.{{Citation needed|date= February 2018}} By September of the same year, the publication was on its last legs and was acquired by the ITV Group, which runs the India-TV and NewsX television news channels. After the sale, Akbar moved to the India Today group, while Mustafa moved to NewsX, hosting a weekly interview programme named ''Straight Talk With Seema Mustafa'' on that channel. She served as National Affairs Editor of News X. The program did not get enough TRPs (viewership), and Mustafa moved on again.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/journalist-seema-mustafa-asks-if-brainwashed-journalists-are-pushing-hate-and-tripe-22300|title=Journalist Seema Mustafa asks if 'brainwashed' journalists are pushing hate and tripe|website=thenewsminute.com|date=25 February 2015|access-date=2019-05-25|archive-date=25 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190525071813/https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/journalist-seema-mustafa-asks-if-brainwashed-journalists-are-pushing-hate-and-tripe-22300|url-status=dead}}</ref>
She next took over the job of Director of a new, left-wing think-tank based in New Delhi named the "Centre for Policy Analysis" {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20091219202845/http://www.cpadelhi.org/]}} (not to be confused with the eminent Delhi-based think-tank, the Centre for Policy Research), a position she presently holds. Concurrently, in January 2014, she founded The Citizen, an independent "Digital Daily" based out of New Delhi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://thecitizen.in/AboutUs.aspx|title=The Citizen – Independent Journalism | Indian News | the Citizen|access-date=14 October 2014|archive-date=19 October 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141019225114/http://thecitizen.in/AboutUs.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Mustafa is the president of the Editors Guild of India,<ref>{{cite news |title=Seema Mustafa elected as president of Editors Guild of India |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/nation/seema-mustafa-elected-as-president-of-editors-guild-of-india-157190 |access-date=15 October 2021 |work=Tribune India News Service |agency=PTI |date=17 October 2020 |language=en}}</ref> elected on 16 October 2020.<ref>{{cite news |title=In First Ever Election, Seema Mustafa Becomes Editors Guild of India's President |url=https://thewire.in/media/editors-guild-of-india-elections-seema-mustafa-sanjay-kapoor-shekhar-gupta-smita-prakash |access-date=15 October 2021 |work=The Wire |date=17 October 2020}}</ref>
==Political career== Mustafa has been associated with several socialist political parties since the 1980s. She wrote the authorised biography of former prime minister VP Singh, entitled ''The Lonely Prophet,'' and was closely associated with him during his lifetime.<ref>{{cite news |title=Do Indian writers tell it as it is? |url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/35348926.cms |work=The Times of India |date=25 March 2001 |accessdate=11 August 2008}}</ref> She was a member of his party, the Janata Dal, for many years. She once contested the UP provincial assembly elections as a Janata Dal candidate but lost.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://hindustan.net/discus/messages/53/395.html?918164538 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927033558/http://hindustan.net/discus/messages/53/395.html?918164538 |archivedate=27 September 2007 |title=Christians in India, Sonia Gandhi BJP The world? Vol. 1 |accessdate=11 August 2008 |publisher=Hindustan.org}}</ref>{{Unreliable source?|date=August 2008}}
Mustafa also contested parliamentary elections to the Lok Sabha two times (1991 and 1996) from the Domariaganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh, but lost badly and even forfeited her election deposit on both occasions. In the 1991 elections, she took the 4th position in 1991 and in 1996, the 10th position. In 1991, she contested as a candidate of the Indian Congress (Socialist) - Sarat Chandra Sinha, an obscure splinter of the Indian National Congress (Socialist), itself a splinter of the Congress party.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rediff.com/nCws/1998/feb/up35.htm |title=Polling Booth: Election' 96: Uttar Pradesh/Domariaganj |accessdate=11 August 2008 |work=Rediff.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Statistical Report on General Elections, 1991 to the Tenth Lok Sabha |url=http://www.eci.gov.in/SR_KeyHighLights/LS_1991/VOL_I_LS_91.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080530034952/http://www.eci.gov.in/SR_KeyHighLights/LS_1991/VOL_I_LS_91.pdf |archivedate=30 May 2008 |accessdate=11 August 2008 |year=1992 |publisher=Election Commission of India |location=New Delhi |pages=1–4 |chapter=List of Participating Political Parties}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Statistical Report on General Elections, 1996 to the Eleventh Lok Sabha |url=http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/LS_1996/Vol_I_LS_96.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229181620/http://eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/LS_1996/Vol_I_LS_96.pdf |archivedate=29 February 2008 |accessdate=11 August 2008 |publisher=Election Commission of India |location=New Delhi |pages=1–6 |chapter=List of Participating Political Parties}}</ref> In 1996, she contested as an independent candidate.<ref>{{cite book |title=Statistical Report on General Elections, 1996 to the Eleventh Lok Sabha |url=http://www.eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/LS_1996/Vol_I_LS_96.pdf |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080229181620/http://eci.gov.in/StatisticalReports/LS_1996/Vol_I_LS_96.pdf |archivedate=29 February 2008 |accessdate=11 August 2008 |publisher=Election Commission of India |location=New Delhi |pages=1–6 |chapter=List of Participating Political Parties}}</ref>
In 2012–13, Mustafa associated herself with the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM) in its campaign to pressure the government of India to oppose the US and support Iran on the issue of Iran's right to develop nuclear weapons. Mustafa is part of the CPM's ''Committee to Campaign for an Independent Foreign Policy''.<ref>{{cite press release |title=Committee to Campaign for an Independent Foreign Policy |publisher=Communist Party of India (Marxist) |date=10 October 2005 |url=http://www.cpim.org/statement/2005/10102005_foreign%20policy.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060108165816/http://cpim.org/statement/2005/10102005_foreign%20policy.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=8 January 2006 |accessdate=11 August 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Left to woo UPA allies on Iran issue |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20051011/main6.htm |work=The Tribune |date=11 October 2005 |accessdate=11 August 2008}}</ref> She has written in opposition to the Indo-US Nuclear Agreement.{{Citation needed|date=March 2026}}
==Publications== *{{cite book |last=Mustafa |first=Seema |year=1995 |title=The Lonely Prophet: V.P. Singh, a Political Biography |isbn=978-81-224-0809-6 |publisher=New Age International |location=New Delhi |oclc=33664491}} *{{cite book |last=Mustafa |first=Seema |author2=Anuradha M. Chenoy and Initiative for National Renewal and Empowerment of the People |year=1995 |title=The Scam: The Cover-up and Compromise |isbn=978-81-224-0713-6 |publisher=Wiley Eastern |location=New Delhi |oclc=32698384}} *{{cite book |last=Mustafa |first=Seema |year=2012|title=Azadi's Daughter: Journey of a Liberal Muslim |isbn= 978-81-888-6115-6 |publisher=ImprintOne |location=New Delhi}} *{{cite book |last=Mustafa |first=Seema |year=2013|title=Journalism: Ethics and Responsibilities |isbn= 978-81-241-1780-4 |publisher=Pragun Publications |location=New Delhi}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mustafa, Seema}} Category:Indian women television journalists Category:Indian television journalists Category:Indian Marxist journalists Category:1955 births Category:Living people Category:Indian communists Category:Journalists from Delhi Category:Indian agnostics Category:Writers from Lucknow Category:University of Lucknow alumni Category:Communist women writers Category:Indian women political writers Category:Indian political writers Category:Women writers from Delhi Category:20th-century Indian journalists Category:20th-century Indian women writers