The first question I have here to you is how would you identify yourself?

Like, if I asked you where you came from, what would you say?

Well, that's a good question.

This is Rana Ayyub.

I'm an Indian at heart, and that's where I belong.

Rana could identify herself other ways, as a Muslim, as a woman, or maybe as a journalist.

So you would identify yourself as an Indian.

Always will.

I was surprised to hear Rana talk about her Indian identity

because of how much her own country has fought against her

and the work she does there.

As a journalist, she's covered the ruling party, the BJP, aggressively. As a Muslim, she's covered the ruling party, the BJP, aggressively.

As a Muslim, she's alarmed by the party's Hindu nationalism.

Rana's first big investigation traced the murders of Muslim men to a high-ranking politician.

I put him on the cover of the magazine that I used to work with, The Helka, and I said, why is this man still free? This politician. I put him on the cover of the magazine that I used to work with, The Helka, and I said,

why is this man still free? This politician ended up getting arrested, but he didn't stay in prison.

And looking back, Rana can't stop thinking about how naive she was. It was an explosive investigation.

I was only 26, and I was quite an idealist and I said,

wow, I mean, I managed to get this man behind bars and then of course six months later he was out.

And this politician now, he's one of the leaders of the Hindu nationalist party, second only

to the prime minister himself. You can imagine how popular that makes Rana when she goes home.

She's become a punching bag for both government loyalists and internet trolls.

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