Rafique Alam (1 June 1929 – 3 April 2011), popularly known as Alam Saheb, was an Indian

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

who had been active in

politics Politics (from , ) is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups, or other forms of power relations among individuals, such as the distribution of resources or status. The branch of social science that stud ...

for six decades. He was a

union minister The Union Council of Ministers Article 58 of the ''Constitution of India'' is the principal executive organ of the Government of India, which is responsible for being the senior decision making body of the executive branch. It is chaired by t ...

and a member of the

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British ...

since the beginning of his political career in early 1960s. Born at Kashibari in Purnea, Bihar on 1 June 1929, Shri Rafique Alam had his education at Russel High School, Kishanganj High School, Purnea, and

Aligarh Muslim University Aligarh Muslim University (abbreviated as AMU) is a Public University, public Central University (India), central university in Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India, which was originally established by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan as the Muhammadan Anglo-Orie ...

. An agriculturist, Shri Rafique Alam was associated with several educational institutions in the Purnea district of Bihar. Shri Rafique Alam was the recipient of the National Integration Award in 1988. Shri Alam began his legislative career as a Member of the Bihar Legislative Assembly from Bahadurganj Vidhan Sabha in 1962 and was a Member of that Assembly from 1962 to 1967, and again representing Kishanganj Vidhan Sabha from 1969 to 1972, 1972 to 77, 1977 to 1980. He served as Cabinet Minister in the Government of Bihar for several terms, holding portfolios of Transport, Local Self-Government, Irrigation, Housing, Jails, Animal Husbandry, Fishery and Wakf, PWD, Rural Reconstruction and Panchayati Raj. Shri Rafique Alam represented the State of Bihar in this House from April 1982 to April 1988 and again from April 1988 to April 1994. Shri Alam also served as Pradesh congress President of united Bihar. Shri Rafique Alam also served as Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas from February to June 1988; as Minister of State in the

Ministry of Textiles The Ministry of Textiles is an Indian government national agency responsible for the formulation of policy, planning, development, export promotion and regulation of the textile industry in India. This includes all natural, artificial, and c ...

from 1988 to 1989, and as Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from July to November 1989 in the Union Council of Ministers. He was the Chairman of the Committee on Petitions, Rajya Sabha, from 1986 to 1988. Shri Rafique Alam was also the Leader of the Indian Haj Goodwill Delegation in 1988. In the passing away of Shri Rafique Alam, the country has lost an able administrator and a distinguished parliamentarian.

References

1929 births 2011 deaths Aligarh Muslim University alumni Indian National Congress politicians Union ministers of state of India People from Purnia district Rajya Sabha members from Bihar Bihar MLAs 1962–1967 Bihar MLAs 1969–1972 Bihar MLAs 1977–1980 People from Kishanganj district Indian National Congress politicians from Bihar Transport Ministers of Bihar {{Bihar-INC-politician-stub