New Delhi

Among the Muslim leaders of post-Independence India, the name of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad instantly comes to mind. Even today, the country salutes his services as India's first Education Minister. His stature was so high that it became difficult for the next generation of leaders to match up to him. India has seen many Muslim leaders who worked for the unity of its people, protecting harmony, promoting secular values, and standing with minorities. They also raised their voice for the rights of the Muslims.

Here is a list of 10 Muslim leaders whose work made a difference to the story of India's growth into the world's fastest-growing economy and a nation that has maintained its diversity and democratic values despite challenges.

Syeda Anwara Taimur

Assam has also seen many Muslim leaders, including Badruddin Ajmal, founder of the All India Assam United Democratic Front. However, Syeda Anwara Taimur became the first woman chief minister of Assam to make history. She held that position from  6 December 1980 to 30 June 198. Known as a powerful leader, she was the leader of the Indian National Congress in Assam. She was an elected MLA for four terms. So far, she remains the only woman and Muslim Chief Minister of Assam. In Indian history, Syeda Anura Taimur was also the first Muslim woman Chief Minister of any state. Her term as Chief Minister ended when the state was placed under President's Rule for six months. In 1988, she was nominated to the Rajya Sabha. She died on 28 September 2020 in Australia.

Dr. Abdul Jalil Faridi

However, it is a common perception that the founder of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Kanshi Ram, was the first leader to propose the formation of a political front of 85 percent lower castes of all religions against the supremacy of 15 percent upper castes in Uttar Pradesh. However, in reality Dr. Abdul Jalil Faridi from Lucknow was the first person to propose the idea of political unity of all the deprived and backward classes against the dominance of the upper castes.

Dr. Abdul Jalil Faridi (1913–1974), a renowned cardiologist and tuberculosis specialist from Lucknow, was not only one of the leading physicians of the city but also a passionate social reformer and political activist. Despite his remarkable success in the medical world, Dr. Faridi was filled with the passion of serving the oppressed, especially Muslims and the backward classes in the country after independence. When he saw that Muslims were being pushed to the political margins, he got involved in political movements for their rights. Initially, he was associated with the Majlis-e-Musharhat and in 1968, he founded the Muslim Majlis, which worked for the education, employment, cultural protection, and political autonomy of minorities. He died of a heart attack during a tough election campaign in 1974.

Dr. Farooq Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir has played an important role in national politics. Along with the Abdullah family, the names of the Mufti family, Congress leaders like Saifuddin Soz, and others like Muzaffar Hussain Baig, Shafi Qureshi, and Abdul Rashid Shaheen come up while looking into the leadership of the state. However, the Abdullah family has played an important role in this struggle. Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, affectionately called Sher-e-Kashmir (Lion of Kashmir), was the founder of the National Conference. His son, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, was his successor, and he left a mark on Indian politics from Kashmir to Delhi. He was last elected as the Chief Minister of the state from 1996 to 2002, after which he moved to the Center and handed over the command of J&K to his son Omar Abdullah. He was again elected to the Rajya Sabha twice and then resigned in 2009 to win a Lok Sabha seat, due to which he joined the UPA government. He lost in 2014 but won in the 2017 by-election. After that, he won the Lok Sabha election in 2019.

Ghulam Nabi Azad

Ghulam Nabi Azad's career spans over five decades. Born on March 7, 1949, in a remote village of Doda, Jammu, he began his political journey in 1973 as a Congress grassroots leader. He soon became President of the Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Youth Congress and later the All India Youth Congress in 1980. In the same year, he was elected to the 7th Lok Sabha from Washim, Maharashtra, and appointed Deputy Minister for Law, Justice, and Company Affairs in 1982. Over the years, he has served in both Houses of Parliament and held key portfolios including Parliamentary Affairs, Civil Aviation, and Health & Family Welfare.

Azad became the first Chief Minister of J&K from the Jammu region in November 2005. His tenure focused on development and infrastructure. He later served as Minister of Health in the UPA-II government, where he significantly expanded the National Rural Health Mission and launched the National Urban Health Mission to address the healthcare needs of the urban poor.

As leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha from 2014 to 2021, Azad played a key role in parliamentary debates and national policy discussions. He is widely respected for his oratory, administrative skills, and deep understanding of the Indian political system.In August 2022, Azad resigned from the Indian National Congress, citing the collapse of the consultative process under Rahul Gandhi’s leadership.

He recently wound up his nascent political outfit, the Democratic Progressive Party. In recognition of his decades-long service in public life, the Government conferred upon him the Padma Bhushan.

Ghani Khan Chaudhary

Ghani Khan Chaudhary's name as the face of Bengal in national politics remains unchallenged. He was elected an MLA of the West Bengal State Legislative Assembly in 1957. He continued to win from his constituency till 1972. He served as a state cabinet minister in the West Bengal government from 1972 to 1977. He was re-elected to the constituency eight times. Chowdhury served as the Railway Minister in the governments of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He played an active role in introducing the Kolkata Metro Railway and Circular Railway in Kolkata city and establishing Malda Town Railway Station as one of the most important stations in the region. For his contribution, Chowdhury is often referred to as the architect of modern Malda.

Abdul Ghafoor

Bihar has a long list of Muslim leaders like Ghulam Sarwar, Abdul Ghafoor, Syed Shahabuddin, Taslimuddin, Shakeel Ahmed, Syed Shahnawaz Hussain, Israr-ul-Haq, and Muhammad Ali Ashraf Fatemi.

However, Abdul Ghafoor was the only Muslim who became the 13th Chief Minister of Bihar. Later, he was a cabinet minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government. He was elected to the Lok Sabha twice in 1984 and 1996 on Congress and Samata Party tickets from Siwan and Gopalganj, respectively. He was also the former Chairman of the Bihar Legislative Council. He first became a member of the state legislature in 1952 and died on 10 July 2004 in Patna. He actively participated in the freedom struggle and also endured imprisonment.

Jaffer Sharif

Jaffer Sharif was a senior Congress leader in Karnataka. He was a strong voice at the Centre. Jaffer Sharif supported Indira Gandhi after the split in the Congress. He has many achievements to his credit as the Railway Minister. His work as Railway Minister is rated highly. During his tenure, many single-gauge railway lines across the country were upgraded. This made him a popular minister at the national level. When the central government was facing a financial crisis, he collected Rs 2000 crore by selling scrap in the railways, which was used in upgrading the tracks. The country still remembers him for the development of Indian Railways.

Asaduddin Owaisi

Today, Asaduddin Owaisi is the most well-known political and popular Muslim leader of India. He is the custodian of the political legacy of the Owaisi family in Telangana and is the third national president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen (AIMIM). Before him, his grandfather, Asaduddin, made his political debut in 1994 by contesting the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly from Charminar constituency, where his party has been winning since 1967. After this, in 2004, Owaisi's father, Sultan Salahuddin Owaisi, who was representing Hyderabad constituency in the Lok Sabha, refused to contest due to ill health. Owaisi entered the Lok Sabha and has been elected to it five times so far. He is not only the voice of Indian Muslims but is also a strong opponent of Pakistan due to his staunch opposition to the two-nation theory. After the recent Operation Sindoor, Owaisi has emerged as a powerful voice of India in the diplomatic campaign against Pakistan.

Owaisi was awarded the Sansad Ratna Award (Gem of Parliamentarians) in October 2013. He is respected by all allies and opponents for his acumen.

Najma Hepthullah

Najma Heptullah belonged to the Congress and later joined the BJP. She was a Congress member of the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan in 1980, 1986, 1992, and 1998. She was the Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha for 16 years. She joined the BJP in 2004. Later, she was nominated as the Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2007. She was a minister in the first government of Narendra Modi. From 2016 to 2021, she served as the 16th Governor of Manipur. She lost the 13th Vice Presidential election in August 2007 to Hamid Ansari. She was appointed the Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia in 2017 and later served as Governor of Manipur. She was known as a powerful politician.

Mohsina Kidwai

Mohsina Kidwai, a distinguished leader of the Indian National Congress Party, hails from the Barabanki district of Uttar Pradesh. She served as a Union Minister and held several important portfolios under Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. She was elected to the 6th Lok Sabha from the Meerut constituency in Uttar Pradesh and retained the seat in the 7th and 8th Lok Sabha.

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She also served as a member of the Rajya Sabha from Chhattisgarh between 2004 and 2016. Mohsina Kidwai won her election when the Congress was wiped out across the country after the Emergency.

(Compiled by Mansoorudin Faridi, Editor, Awaz-the Voice, Urdu)