Rafiq Zakaria

Rafiq Zakaria (Hindi/Konkani: राफ़िक़ ज़कारिया; April 5, 1920, Nala Sopara — July 9, 2005, Mumbai) was an Indian politician and Islamic scholar and father of well known Indian-American journalist Fareed Zakaria and former Merrill Lynch investment banking head Arshad Zakaria. He was closely associated with India's freedom movement and the Indian National Congress party.

Public service

Zakaria, a Kokani Muslim, spent over 25 years in public service, including years as a cabinet minister in the union state of Maharashtra, and later as a Member of the Indian parliament, serving as Deputy Leader of the Congress Party under Indira Gandhi. He was a moderate Muslim. Zakaria represented India in many countries and also at the United Nations in 1965, 1990 and 1996.

Zakaria founded a number of schools and colleges in his political constituency, Aurangabad, including a women's college of arts and sciences and the Indian Institute of Hotel Management now known as the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad (IHM-A). The Maulana Azad Education Trust Aurangabad is a mini university in itself. He was Chancellor of the Jamia Urdu, Aligarh (U.P.) and President of Maharashtra College in Mumbai.

Education & Professional Life

He was an alumnus of Ismail Yusuf College Mumbai. Zakaria had won the Chancellor's Gold Medal in the MA examination of University of Mumbai formerly known as Bombay University and received a Ph.D. degree from the University......
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