Rafiq Zakaria

Rafiq Zakaria (5 April 1920 – 9 July 2005) was an Indian politician and Islamic religious cleric. Zakaria represented India abroad at the United Nations thrice. He was the first Muslim urban development minister of the newly created Maharashtra State. Later, he served as deputy to Former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the leader of the Congress Party, in the Lok Sabha. He was closely associated with the Indian independence movement and the Indian National Congress party. He was known for his advocacy of traditional Islam.

Early life and education Zakaria, a Konkani from Maharashtra, was an alumnus of Ismail Yusuf College, Mumbai. He won the Chancellor's Gold Medal in the MA examination of the University of Mumbai and in 1948 received a PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Zakaria mostly wrote on Indian affairs, Islam and the British Raj. His works include:

A Study of Nehru The Man Who Divided India Razia: Queen of India The Widening Divide Discovery of God Muhammad and the Quran Rise of Muslims in Indian Politics The Struggle Within Islam Conflict Between Religion and Politics Iqbal, the Poet and the Politician (1993) The Price of Partition Gandhi and the Break-up of India Indian Muslims: Where Have They Gone Wrong? Sardar Patel and Indian Muslims Communal Rage in Secular India (On the aftermath of the Godhra Riots) The Trial of Benazir (1989) 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.

Personal life Zakaria was married twice. His second wife, Fatima Zakaria was an imminent personality as a journalist in her own right.He was the father of four children by his two wives:

Mansoor Zakaria and Tasneem Zakaria Mehta, the art historian who works with INTACH in Mumbai, by his first wife, Shehnaz Khan, the daughter of a Bhopali aristocrat. Arshad Zakaria and Fareed Zakaria, the American journalist, by his second wife, Fatima Zakaria, who was for a time the editor of the Sunday Times of India and was in 2008 the editor of the Taj magazine of the Taj Hotels.