An Interview with Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar Winner Neha Rubab
By Afroz Khan, New Age Islam
25 April 2026
After winning the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Award 2025 (in Urdu), Neha Rubab from Prayagraj has come into the limelight and garnered headlines by writing a historical biography on Mazharul Haque titled “Mazharul Haque: Tahreek-e-Azadi-e-Hind Ka Faramosh Kardah Qaaed” in a story-like narrative style.
Neha Rubab is a very cheerful, intelligent, and lively personality, and here are excerpts from a brief conversation with her.
Question 1 – Please tell us about yourself?
Answer – I was born in Prayagraj, and I completed my entire education there.
I have lived in Prayagraj until 2025. When I was in high school, my father passed away, and during my second year, I got married. At present, I am working as an Assistant Editor at NCPUL (National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language).
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Question – How did you develop an interest in Urdu?
Answer – Initially, I was not inclined towards Urdu. In fact, I wanted to study in the science stream. I studied in the science stream until high school, but for further studies in science, I needed to go far from home, and my family did not permit me to do so. Therefore, I continued my studies by taking Urdu and English as subjects.
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Question – When did your interest in writing begin?
Answer – In 2022–23, I wrote ghazals and nazms, which were also published on various platforms.
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Question – Can you share one of your nazms?
Answer –
دعاۓ بد بھی کسی کی تو با ثمر نکلی
مری دعا بھی ہر اک بار بے اثر نکلی
صدائیں چاروں طرف سے اٹھیں دلاسے کی
پہ ایک بھی تو نہیں ان میں معتبر نکلی
عجیب بات کہ پھرتی تھی جو تلاش میں کل
وہ آج آنکھ سے بچتی ہوئی نظر نکلی
بس ایک واہ جو ابھری کسی کی چاہت میں
دل و دماغ سے اک آہ عمر بھر نکلی
وہ آنکھ خشک رہی جو کبھی زمانے تک
وہ آنکھ آج سنا آنسوؤں سے تر نکلی
جو ملنے والا تھا مجھ کو وہ مل گیا تجھ کو
ترے نصیب کی رفتار تیز تر نکلی
میں بے خبر رہی افواہ جان کر جس کو
وہ بات میری تباہی کی اک خبر نکلی
نہ جانے حشر ہو کیا پھر ہمارے رشتوں کا
رباب سوچ کبھی ذہن سے اگر نکلی
#نہاں رباب
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Question – What is the story behind your pen name “Rubab”?
Answer – I was fond of the word “mizrab,” and from it, I derived the word “Rubab.” Rubab is an ancient musical instrument that is played with a wooden mizrab. However, mizrab itself did not carry a meaningful identity, so based on it, I chose “Rubab” as my pen name.
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Question – How did you get the idea to apply for the PM Yuva Mentorship, and what was the selection process?
Answer – This has been a major turning point in my life. In 2019, I got selected for a PhD program, but when I initially started attending the university and began collecting material and preparing lists, the COVID-19 pandemic began. The pandemic played a unique role in my achievements.
Due to COVID-19, when universities were closed, I got ample time to read. I started reading articles and books, and in 2020, I wrote my first article. I wrote on Allama Iqbal titled “Allama Iqbal ke Kalam mein Quran-e-Talmihat,” which I presented at an international webinar and later sent it for publication. In the same year, another one of my articles was also published.
In 2021, the PM Yuva Mentorship advertisement was released. I saw it in several places, but I felt that I would not be able to do it, as I considered myself a relatively new scholar, especially when compared to scholars from universities like Jamia, DU, and JNU. I thought I had no chance of selection.
On 1 May 2021, the advertisement was officially published, and when only two months were left for application, I decided to give it a try. I consulted one of my teachers, who motivated me. My husband also played a very important role; he encouraged me by saying, “You write, you can do it.” Along with him, a university teacher also told me that I was eligible and capable of being selected for the PM Yuva Mentorship.
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Question – What inspired you to select your topic?
Answer – The topic was actually selected by my husband. I asked him to suggest topics. He has completed his M.Com and has a strong understanding of current affairs and political issues. He suggested three names: Qayyum Ansari, Maulvi Liaqat Ali, and Maulana Mazharul Haque.
We wanted a topic that had limited existing material. When we researched Maulvi Liaqat Ali, we found that a considerable amount had already been written about him, so it did not seem meaningful to work on him. Then we explored Maulana Mazharul Haque and found that there was only one book in English by Dr. Qayumuddin, later translated into Urdu by Rizwan Ahmad and into Hindi by Jai Prakash Jha.
We studied that book and prepared an 8000-word synopsis, which we submitted on the last date, 31 July.
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Question – Please tell us about your book.
Answer – First of all, I would like to clarify that my book is not a novel, although many news articles have referred to it as such. My book, Mazharul Haque: Tahreek-e-Azadi-e-Hind Ka Faramosh Kardah Qaaed, is a historical biography. It presents the life and contributions of Maulana Mazharul Haque in India’s freedom movement in a narrative style.
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Question – How long did it take you to write this book?
Answer – It took me around a couple of years. We had monthly meetings where our mentor reviewed our work, corrected our mistakes, and guided us on proper writing techniques.
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Question – What challenges did you face while writing this book?
Answer – The major challenge was the lack of available material. Only one book had been written on Maulana Mazharul Haque. To gather information, I had to visit the Khuda Bakhsh Library in Bihar twice. It is a very old and significant library. I examined handwritten letters written by Maulana Mazharul Haque there.
After that, I visited the Bihar State Archives and studied criminal records written by the British. These documents were difficult to understand, and interpreting them to understand his role in the freedom movement and his personality was quite challenging.
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Question – Did you ever feel discouraged or think of giving up?
Answer – Yes, that did happen. During my second visit to the Khuda Bakhsh Library, I was two months pregnant. I had gone to Patna for fact-checking, but my health deteriorated significantly. I felt very distressed and thought of leaving everything. However, I gathered courage and completed my work.
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Question – What was your reaction on receiving the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Award?
Answer – It was a very beautiful moment. Initially, I could not believe it. I remember that when I received the call from Sahitya Akademi informing me that I had won the award in Urdu, I was attending a program at the India International Centre, where Kangana Ranaut’s speech was going on.
Even then, I could not believe it. I was so excited that I felt like shouting out loud, but since the program was ongoing, I somehow controlled myself.
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Question – Have you received any other awards apart from the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Award?
Answer – On 26 January 2024, I received the Best Research Scholar Award from the Vice Chancellor of the University of Allahabad.
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Question – What changes have you experienced in your life after receiving the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Award?
Answer – After receiving the award, I felt that the number of my critics increased. Many people are uncomfortable with the fact that I achieved such success at a young age. These are the same people who still find it difficult to accept a woman’s progress.
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Question – What would you like to say to such critics?
Answer – I would like to quote a couplet by Bashir Badr Sahab.
Mukhalifat se meri shakhsiyat sawarti hai
Main dushmanon ka bada ehteram karti hun…
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Question – What achievement would you like to accomplish next after the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Award?
Answer – The Sahitya Akademi Yuva Award is just the beginning for me. I consider it the first step of success. After this, I would like to achieve the Sahitya Akademi main award and the gyanpith Award.
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Question – Apart from this book, have you written any other books?
Answer – Yes, in 2023, I compiled and edited writings related to teaching by Professor Ghazanfar and published them as a book titled Tadreesi Zaviye through Educational Publishing House.
I have also written a children’s book on Maulana Mazharul Haque titled Watan ka Saccha Sipahi, which was published by NBT. Additionally, I wrote a book titled Rang Panchami, which contains stories for children.
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Question – What is your next project? What would you like to write in the future?
Answer – In the future, I would definitely like to write a novel. Apart from that, I would also like to write a collection of short stories.
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Question – Who are your favorite writers, and which of their works do you like?
Answer – I really liked Anis Ashfaq’s novel Khwab Sarab. Recently, I also liked Chitra Mudgal’s Post Box No. 203 Nala Sopara, which received the Sahitya Akademi Award for translation. It discusses the third gender, and I found it very impactful.
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Question – What do you think should be done for the promotion of Urdu?
Answer – The issue in Urdu literature is that students study simple Urdu up to the 12th grade, but at the graduation level, it suddenly becomes more complex. This sudden transition creates difficulties for students. I want to work on bridging this gap so that students remain interested in Urdu.
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Question – What advice would you give to those who want to become writers?
Answer – My advice to aspiring writers is that they must first believe in themselves. They should have dedication and keep trying continuously. When we start writing, we often feel fear or lack confidence. Therefore, self-belief is essential.
Write something daily, edit it, show it to a senior, and improve your mistakes. If you write even one page daily, you will have 365 pages in a year, and after editing, you can easily produce at least 100 refined pages within a year.
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Afroz Khan is a teacher by profession who writes on women, politics, communal harmony, and Islam. She holds a master’s degree in Education.
New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism