Party Name : Indian National Congress
Constituency : Kulaba
State : Maharashtra
Member Experience : Elected to Loksabha 4 time
Last Loksabha Attended : 14
Father's Name : Shri Hafiz Abdul Gafoor
Mother's Name : Smt. Zohrabi
Date of birth : 09 Feb 1929
Profession : Advocate Social Worker, Writer
Positions held :
1960-62 Chief, Youth Congress, Maharashtra1962 President, District Congress Committee, Maharashtra1962-69 General Secretary, P.C.C., Maharashtra (for seven years)1962-76 and 1980-89 Member, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly1962 Chairman, Committee on Non-official Bills and Resolutions, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly1967 Chairman, Committee on Subordinate Legislation, Maharashtra Legislative AssemblyChairman, Estimates Committee, Maharashtra Legislative AssemblyOct. 1969 - Feb.1976 Minister of State, Law and Judiciary, Ports and Fisheries etc., Government of MaharashtraElevated to Cabinet rank Minister of Law & Judiciary, Building, Communication and Housing, Government of Maharashtra1976-1980 Member, Rajya SabhaJune1980-January 1982 Chief Minister, Government of Maharashtra1991-93 Chairman, Committee on Public UndertakingsJune 1995 - May 1996 Union Cabinet Minister, Health and Family Welfare (also held additional charge of Water Resources during Feb.-May 1996)1996 Elected to 11th Lok Sabha (3rd term)1989 Elected to 9th Lok Sabha1991 Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha (2nd term)1993-94 Member, Standing Committee, Ministry of Railways1993-95 Chairman, Joint Parliamentary Committee on Facilities and Remuneration to Members of Parliament2004 Re-elected to 14th Lok Sabha (4th term)29 Jan.2006-onwards Cabinet Minister of Minority Affairs
More Information :
Books Published
(i)Parliamentary Privilege (compilation of his five articles published in the Times of India) ; (ii) Mahajan Report - Uncovered; (iii) Appointment of a Chief Justice; and (iv) Democracy- Parliamentary or Presidential? (compilation of his speeches and interviews)
Social And Cultural Activities
Started career as active social worker in 1945; notable achievements include construction of (i) a jetty on the bank of Savitri river, Bankot (Khadi) Creek through `Shramdan`, and worked with own hands along with the villagers of Ambet; (ii) road between the village Ambet and Lonere Goregaon (then in Kulaba, now in Raigad district) to connect his village to NH-17
Special Interests
Social causes; service of the weaker section of the society and upliftment of downtrodden
Countries Visited
Iraq, Kuwait, Syria, U.K. and U.S.S.R.
Other Information
Rendered whole-hearted assistance to Smt. Indira Gandhi during her perseciton and prosecution between 1977 and1980 and remained steadfastly loyal and supportive to her against all odds; during his Chief Ministership in 1980-82, initiated (i) Sanjay Gandhi Niradhar Yojana for the poor and downtrodden and (ii) Sanjay Gandhi Swawlamban Yojana; paid out of State treasury loans to the poor and marginal farmers to the tune of 59 crore rupees; built (Shaheed) Hutatma Smarak in every village wherein one or more persons laid down their life for the cause of freedom; in all, over 250 such villages in the State of Maharashtra have a (Shaheed) Hutatma Samarak - a unique initiative till date
