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.He is known for construction of irrigation and power schemes in Maharashtra in decade of seventies and association with educational institutions.
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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 in loksabha 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.
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 School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London[1]. He was called to the bar from Lincoln's Inn in England and practised law in Mumbai, where he was appointed Chief Public Prosecutor.
He was the father of four children by two wives:
Dr Rafiq Zakaria contested the first election of the newly created Maharashtra state in 1962, from Aurangabad, and was elected to Maharashtra assembly. He was made Minister for Urban Development in the new ministry. It was under his guidance that planning for New Aurangabad was initiated. The responsibility for the new city was given to CIDCO which started development in the 1970s. Thus Aurangabad CIDCO (as New Aurangabad is called) is the brainchild of Dr Zakaria. To promote tourism Dr Zakaria invited hospitality majors like the ITC Welcome group.[2] , The Ambassador group[3] & the Taj Residency.[4] to set up 5 star hotels in the city. It was under his initiative that industrialization of the city began with the setting up of the Chikhalthana MIDC. To solve the water problem of the growing city Dr Zakaria prevailed upon the govt to allow lifting of waters of Godavari from Jayakwadi Dam for drinking and industrial usage.
He started The Maulana Azad Education Trust at Aurangabad, Maharashtra, in the campus of which he is buried.
His many books include A Study of Nehru (ed.), The Struggle Within Islam, Muhammed and the Quran, The Price of Partition, and Communal Rage in Secular India.
Zakaria mostly wrote on Indian affairs, Islam and British imperialism. His works include:
He had earlier worked for the News Chronicle and The Observer in London, United Kingdom. Zakaria also penned a bi-weekly column for the Times of India newspaper.