Manipuri women have very frequently been extolled for their strength to rise even when in the midst of the most adverse situations. And not without reason.

For despite all the claims of the liberty that women supposedly enjoys in this northeastern states, there too are the most contrasting, unfavourable and most trying fire through which these women have to walk through to prove themselves over and over again. Sometimes it is the societal set-up, sometimes it is religion and sometimes it is her own family that demands this proof of fire.

In Sanahanbi's case, religion as well as the societal set-up was against her, yet partly with her parents' encouragement and mostly with her own determined conviction, she became a forerunner for all women in her community to follow in her footsteps.

Coming from a background where religion as well as a societal set-up, more than half a century back, which didn't encourage education for the girl child, Sanahanbi has the distinction of being the first matriculate and graduate among the Meitei Muslim (Pangal) women in Manipur.

Sanahanbi is the first child among eight children born to Al-haj Basiruddin Ahmed and Nejgunnisa. Since her father was an SDO, she was born and groomed in the VIP zone of Babupara area of Imphal.

"I was quite sociable as a child, and loved travelling, though we were restricted to go out," she says. " One good thing was that though my parents were strict, they allowed certain freedom," she adds.

Sanahanbi did her schooling at the nearby school Bengali High School. Education for the girl child is a neglected aspect among the Meitei Muslims, with most parents preferring their daughters to stop studies after learning the basic Urdu so as to be able to read the Holy Koran. "I was the only Muslim girl in class," Sanahanbi recalls, and adds, "There were hardly two or three in the whole school at that time."

However, Sanahanbi herself was well encouraged by her parents, especially by her mother Nejgunnisa, a housewife. But mostly it was her own inclination towards studies and her determination to go for further education that gave her the cutting edge over her own community friends, and earned her parents' go-ahead.

A comparatively good student, Sanahanbi gave her matriculation exam in 1955. After that she completed her Intermediate (IA) in 1957 and BA in History from DM College in 1959.

Veteran politicians like the late Irengbam Tompok and former Deputy Chief Minister Leishangthem Chandramani, member of the Manipur State Women Commission Lhingjaneng Gangte were her classmates at college. In 1962, Sanahanbi completed MA in Sociology from Pune University.

After her masters, she returned home and during that time did a short stint in social work along with Mrs. Raina, wife of then Chief Commissioner, in the Manipur Social Welfare Department – mainly teaching young children about social work.

A few years afterwards, in 1967 she got married to late Nazir Ahmed, a law graduate who found his calling in the property business. The young couple shifted to the United Kingdom and made Wimbledon their home.

They have four children and two grandchildren.

Presently, Sanahanbi look after her late husband's business and also does charity work for ethnic minorities in the United Kingdom. She is also associated with European Manipuri Association (EMA) which is an organization of Manipuri people staying in different parts of the European continent.

Sanahanbi who was recently in Manipur after eight years' gap is the opinion that there have been lots of change in the state and quite a lot of development.

Regarding the status of women in her community she feels that they have more freedom now as compared with earlier times. "… more and more kids are going outside for studies and other purposes, more shalwars. Even in food habits, the typical Indian food has become an important part of the menu," she comments.

"But there is no peaceful life, no water, no electricity. And if you go by the newspaper reports, more crime – but this is a global phenomenon," she adds.

Sanahanbi love travelling and meeting people. She has travelled to many places and find Holland and Paris "among the good places." But it is India, which is "home sweet home."

She also likes watching movies, "a little bit of computer" and light reading, especially romance and crime stories. "I love songs, even though I can't sing well," she adds.

She is also fluent in many languages which include Manipuri, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and English.