Khwaja Haleem – great but lesser known Muslim leader of UP
By Muslim Saleem
He believes in service to the community without making a bid to take
credit and seek popularity. He has been making great efforts for welfare
and upliftment of community people overtly and covertly. Apart from
political arena, he has also opened a number of educational institutions
for community’s educational, social and economic empowerment. This
great but lesser known Muslim leader of UP is none other Khwaja Haleem.
He was born to Mr Khwaja M. Masood and Mohtarma Ayesha Khatoon at
Aligarh on August 28, 1944. Leadership skills of Khwaja Haleem came to
the fore during studies at Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh where he
rose to prestigious post of Senior Proctorly Monitor. After completing
MSc Statistics, Khwaja Haleem joined mainstream politics and was elected
as Member of Uttar Pradesh Assembly in 1980. Before that, he took part
in many political movements and was imprisoned in 1978 and 1979 in jails
of Aligarh and Jhansi. In the meantime, he held posts of President of
District Congress Committee, General Secretary of State Lok Dal and
National Secretary of Samajwadi Party.
Khwaja Haleem became Chairman
of state Minorities Commission in 1989-90, Member and later Chairman of
Sunni Waqf Board, Uttar Pradesh, Member of Uttar Pradesh Haj Committees
and Member or Aligarh Muslim University Court.
On May 6, 2000,
Khwaja Haleem was elected as Member of Legislative Council of Uttar
Pradesh from Vidhan Sabha constituency on the ticket of Samajwadi Party.
This tenure ended after 6 years on May 8, 2006.
In year 2000-2001,
Khwaja Haleem was nominated as member of Finance and Administrative
Delay Committee of Vidhan Parishad, Member of Legislative Empowerment
Committee, Member of Medical and Public Health Standing Committee and
Member of Appeal Committee of Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad.
In year 2003-04, Khwaja Haleem was nominated as Member of Assurance Committee of Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad.
In year 2004-05, he was nominated as Chairman of Revision Committee of Uttar Pradesh Vidhan Parishad,
On September 8, 2005, Khwaja Haleem was inducted as Cabinet Minister
for Industrial Development in the ministry of Chief Minister Shri
Mulayam Singh Yadav.
AT PRESENT, KHAWAJA HALEEM IS ADVISOR TO UTTAR
PRADESH GOVERNMENT’S TOURISM DEPARTMENT. HE HAS UNDERTAKEN VARIOUS
IMPORTANT DECISIONS DURING THIS TENURE. ONE OF HIS MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS IS
THAT HE HAS BROUGHT ALIGAR ON WORLD TOURISM MAP BY GETTING SHEKHA LAKE
DECLARED ASAS BIRD SANCTUARY.
HE IS FOUNDER-CHAIRMAN OF ALIGHAR TEACHERS TRAINING COLLEGE (B ED. BTC, BA,
B.COM). 2- KHWAJA INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE AND 3. MADARSA AL-EHRAR.
Khwaja Haleem has been a member of UP Haj Committee for the last 20
years. dhan Parishad) and also its Deputy Chairman. He is also a member
of Samajwadi Party’s National Executive. He has undertaken visits to
Russie, Uzbekistan, Czechoslovakia and Saudi Arabia. He has penchant for
studies and sports. Address: Khowaja Haleem, Bargad House, Civil Lines,
Aligarh.
Khowaja Haleem is a highly educated politician of Uttar
Pradesh. Despite being a politician, he has an impeccable mage, kept
corruption at a bay and come out clean while essaying various
responsibilities including those of Minister in Uttar Pradesh. May Allah
give him a long and healthy life to continue community welfare. (Muslim
Saleem, after return from Aligarh at Bhopal on February 22, 2016).
