C. K. Jaffer Sharief: Passing Away of a Veteran Leader from Karnataka’s Political Horizon
Bengaluru, Nov 25: The State of Karnataka has lost one of the most senior politicians in the death of Mr. Challakere Kareem Jaffer Sharief who breathed his last in Bengaluru on November 25 afternoon after a brief illness.
The veteran Congressman, Jaffer Sharief was elected to the Lok Sabha for a record eight times between 1971 and 1999. But he will be more remembered as a Union Railway Minister for his signal contribution of imparting unigauge to the Indian Railways thereby making trains to run from Jammu to Kanniyakumari and Trivandrum to Dibrugarh in Assam. Prior to his advent to the Ministry, the Indian Railways had three different gauges—Broadguage, Metregauge, and Narrowgauge—which posed hassles in cross country travel of passengers and considerably delayed transport of goods.
Sharief is one among the three politicians I know who represented predominantly non-Muslim constituencies over and over again and were known for accomplishments that had nothing to do with Muslims alone. The other two were: 1-Kamaluddin Ahmed who was elected from Warangal LS constituency at least four times and rose to become a leader on the strength of his stint as a trade union leader. His constituency had only 7% Muslims. Second was Mr. Farook Maricar who was twice or thrice chief minister of Pondicherry (now Puducherry), was elected Lok Sabha MP (I remember twice) and was appointed Ambassador to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Puducherry too has only 7% Muslim population. Jaffer Sharief represented Bangalore North constituency seven times which has 25% religious minority population (19% Muslims + 6% Christians). Though he never raised Muslim issues in an emotive manner, maintained active contacts with minorities and counseled moderation.
Jaffer Sharief rose from the humble background in an agriculturist family in Challakere in Chitradurga district of Karnataka and did not have the opportunity to pursue education beyond the high school. He however gathered political training under astute Congress leader and two times State Chief Minister S. Nijalingappa.
As a member of his personal staff, Jaffer Sharief is said to have got the air about the machinations of the strong internal coterie within the Congress comprising Morarji Desai, Atulya Ghosh, Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy, K. Kamaraj and a few other members who were opposed to Prime Minister Indira Gandhi’s leftward shift (or drift) in policies to reclaim the popular base of the party way back at the end of 1960s. Mrs. Gandhi’s nationalization of 14 major banks and supporting the candidature of V. V. Giri for the President of India’s office (against the Congress’ official candidate Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy) had angered the coterie and they were about to throw her out of the party. In fact, Morarji Desai had resigned as the Union Finance Minister after Mrs. Gandhi sprang a surprise of nationalization of the 14 major banks. Sharief is said to have conveyed the new of the planned move of the senior leaders to Ms. Gandhi which resulted in her preemptive strike against the coterie and splitting the party carrying a major chunk of the MPs with her. This backstage role of Mr. Sharief won him the lifelong debt of the Nehru-Gandhi clan and saw him being nominated on the Congress ticket first from Kanakapura Lok Sabha Constituency in 1971 and later from Bangalore North constituency for seven times in 1977, 1980, 1984, 1989, 1991, 1998 and 1999. The only time he did not represent this Constituency during these years was between 1996 and 1998 when he was not fielded by the Indian National Congress in 1996 elections. Sharief had resigned from the Ministry of Mr. P. V. Narasimha Rao complaining of INC’s wavering stand and compromise on the issue of secularism. 2009 was the last election he fought from Bangalore North in which he was defeated by BJP’s D. B. Chandregowda.
Sharief was though a Minister of State for Railways between 1980 to 1984, he is more recognized as the Union Railway Minister between 1991 and 1995 when he took up with crusading zeal the implementation of single gauge for the Railways all across the nation. The Railways saw gauge conversion of nearly 6,000 kilometres, of which around 1,000 kms were in Karnataka alone. It was during this period that Bengaluru emerged prominently on the Railway map of India with direct trains crisscrossing the city. He was also instrumental in bringing the Wheel Axle Plant for the Indian Railways to the city (in Yelahanka) and setting up Railway Container Terminal at Whitefield and creation of a new Railway zone i.e., South Western Railway with Headquarters in Hubli and establishment of a third railway terminal at Yeshwanthapur in Bengaluru. These facilities greatly enhanced the access to Bengaluru which was enjoying a booming economy what with MNCs lining up for setting their India headquarters here.
Sharief also served as a Minister of State for Irrigation (1984-88) and Minister of State for Coal (1988-89). Besides he served on a number of Standing Committees of the Lok Sabha during his 34-year Parliamentary career.
Married to Amiena Bi, he had two sons and two daughters. However his sons predeceased him. Younger son Khader Nawaz Sharief died in 1999 while the second son Abdul Karim died in 2009, even while he was fighting Lok Sabha elections. His wife died in 2008. He established an Engineering College (Khader Nawaz Sharief Institute of Technology) in Hegde Nagar, Bengaluru in memory of his late son. One of his sons married a daughter of Mufti Sayeed, later PDP leader from Jammu & Kashmir. (I am not certain which of the sons.)
Though Sharief was never into State politics, he was one among the contenders for the chief ministership after 1999 Assembly election when the Congress stormed back to power in the State. However the High Command anointed Mr. S. M. Krishna as the chief minister. This was the closest he came to grabbing the high position in the State. For some time after losing 2009 elections, Sharief got close to Mr. H. D. Deve Gowda with whom he had shared a great personal bonhomie. He also appeared with BSP leader Mayawati on one occasion leading to speculation that he was on the verge of terminating his ties with the grand old Congress party. Yet the speculated denouement never came.
The CBI instituted a case against Sharief in 1995 (after his resignation from the Narasimha Rao cabinet) alleging him to have utilized services of four Ministry officials while he was under medical treatment in London. The CBI closed the decade long case in 2006 while the United Progressive Alliance was at the saddle of power in Delhi.
Jaffer Sharief was into organising a function to release the Urdu translation of Maulana Azad’s English book “India Wins Freedom” next week in a grand function in the Bangalore Palace. Former Vice President of India Mr. Hamid Ansari had been invited for the occasion.
Sharief was an extremely moderate and secular leader who had adroitly managed power equations without pandering to any communal politics. He was a leader with mass appeal and never exploited religious sentiments for partisan ends. In his death, Karnataka has lost a visionary politician and a worthy leader.
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Waqf bill attack on Constitution's basic structure, INDIA bloc opposes it: Gogoi
New Delhi (PTI): Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi on Wednesday said the INDIA bloc will oppose the proposed changes to the Waqf law and called the bill an attack on the basic structure of the Constitution with an aim to dilute its provisions, defame minorities, disenfranchise them and divide the Indian society.
Hitting back, former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said when large number of Waqf properties are lying vacant and being looted, the government has all powers to bring a law to regulate it.
He told Gogoi that while he cited Constitution, he did not present a complete picture on its various provisions authorising government to bring laws on various issues, including Waqf properties.
Initiating the debate on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Gogoi accused the government of misleading Parliament, referencing past discussions on the matter.
"This bill is an attack on the basic structure of our Constitution, an attack on our federal structure, and has four primary objectives: to dilute the Constitution, to defame minority communities, to divide Indian society, and to disenfranchise minorities," he alleged.
"The claim that the 2013 UPA government did not act on this issue is false. Repeated allegations have been made," Gogoi said, questioning the necessity of the amendments.
He further argued that the bill had not been adequately discussed with minority representatives.
"In 2023, four meetings of the Minority Commission were held, and yet, there was no mention of the need for a Waqf amendment bill. I ask the government - was this bill drafted by the Minority Affairs Ministry or some other department?"
The opposition MP also raised concerns over Clause 3, which defines individuals practising Islam.
"Minorities are now being forced to prove their religious identity with certificates. Tomorrow, will people from other faiths also have to do this? This is against Article 26 of the Constitution," he said.
"Which community do you want to mislead? The same community that fought for India's independence? The community that sacrificed alongside Mangal Pandey in 1857? You want to tarnish the reputation of a community in which 2 lakh ulema were martyred? You seek to defame the community that supported us during the Quit India Movement? You want to stain the name of the community that supported the Dandi March on April 6, 1930?" Gogoi said.
"You wish to malign the community that opposed the British policy of divide and rule in 1926? You aim to taint the community whose leader, Maulana Hussain Ahmad Madani, demanded complete independence?" he added.
Gogoi also accused the government of spreading misinformation about the bill's impact on women's rights.
"There is an attempt to create the illusion that the existing law discriminates against women. In reality, the law already has provisions for the protection and empowerment of women, including widows," he said.
He also claimed that the Joint Parliament Committee did not take any suggestions of the Opposition into consideration.
Gogoi noted the reduction in revenue allocation from 7 per cent to 5 per cent, arguing that instead of reducing it, the government should consider increasing it to 11 per cent to strengthen the Waqf Board. He also claimed that provisions on imprisonment had been diluted.
"There is a clear attempt to take control of Waqf properties. Today, their eyes are on one minority group; tomorrow, they will target another. We support necessary reforms, but this bill will only lead to increased litigation and more problems," he said.
Countering the Opposition attack, Prasad said the church community is also in favour of Waqf amendment bill as churches too are facing the problem of encroachment by Waqf bodies.
He said the government cannot watch silently as corruption on Waqf properties continue unabated.
"Waqf is not a religious body; it is a statutory body. There are over 8 lakh Waqf properties, including schools, hospitals, and orphanages. Shouldn't there be a mechanism to ensure proper governance? The opposition is politically bound to oppose reforms, but they must look within themselves," he added.
Prasad said that the amendments were necessary to ensure transparency and fairness in Waqf administration.
"The Waqf Bill is about regulating properties, not about targeting any community. If the bill provides more representation to backward Muslims in Waqf affairs, why is the opposition objecting? If Waqf properties are being misused or illegally occupied, the Constitution allows for corrective legislation," he said.
Prasad said the Congress has over the years only paid lip service to the cause of minorities but did nothing to empower them.
He also referenced the Shah Bano case, accusing the Congress of undermining legal reforms for political gains.
"When the Supreme Court ruled in favour of Shah Bano, the Rajiv Gandhi government overturned the decision for vote bank politics. Congress had 400 seats then but never got a majority after that. Today, they continue to oppose necessary reforms for political reasons," he said.
According to the bill, trusts created by Muslims under any law will no longer be considered Waqf, ensuring full control over them.
Only practising Muslims (for at least five years) can dedicate their property to Waqf, restoring the pre-2013 rules. Also, women must receive their inheritance before Waqf declaration, with special provisions for widows, divorced women and orphans, the bill proposes.
