>Jaywardhan009 at 08:44, 14 November 2020

2020-11-14T08:44:15Z

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{{short description|Indian politician and Urdu Journalist.}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Meem Afzal
| honorific-prefix =
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| image = Meem Afzal.jpg
| caption =
| office = Member of Parliament, [[Rajya Sabha]]
| constituency = [[Uttar Pradesh]]
| term_start = 1990
| term_end = 1996
| term_start1 =
| term_end1 =
| office2 = Vice-chair, Urdu Academy, Delhi
| term_start2 = 2004
| term_end2 = 2005
| predecessor2 =
| successor2 =
| office3 = Ambassador of India
| term_start3 = 2005
| term_end3 = 2010
| predecessor3 =
| successor3 =
| office4 = National Spokesperson. [[Indian National Congress]]
| term_start4 = 2013
| term_end4 =till date
| predecessor4 =
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| term_end5 =
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| party = [[Indian National Congress]]
| birth_date = 1952
| birth_place = Delhi, India
| spouse = Shehnaz
| awards =
| relations =
| religion =
| alma_mater = [[University of Delhi]]<br>[[Jamia Millia Islamia]]
| education = MA ([[Political Science]]), [[BEd]]
| nationality = Indian
| parents =
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}}

'''Mohammed Afzal''', better known as '''Meem Afzal''', is an [[Indian politician]] and Urdu journalist.<ref name="Milli G">{{cite news |title=Meem Afzal appointed ambassador to Angola |url=http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/2005/01-15July05-Print-Edition/011507200557.htm |work=[[The Milli Gazette]]}}</ref> He was a member of parliament and also served as an Indian ambassador to various countries.<ref name="mea.gov">/*{{cite web |title=Shri Mohd. Afzal alias Meem Afzal appointed next Ambassador of India to Angola |url=https://www.mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/5576/Shri+Mohd+Afzal+alias+Meem+Afzal+appointed+next+Ambassador+of+India+to+Angola |publisher=[[Ministry of External Affairs (India)|Ministry of External Affairs]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Alvi out of new team of Congress spokespersons |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/delhi/alvi-out-of-new-team-of-congress-spokespersons/story-ILF2LI9UawMoyxnJQYb6SL.html |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |date=5 May 2013 |language=en}}</ref> Currently he is a National Spokesperson of [[Indian National Congress party]] and [[Chief Editor]] of ''Akhbar E Nau'', an Urdu weekly published from New Delhi.<ref name="The Sunday Guardian"/>

== Early life ==
Born in Delhi, Meem Afzal completed his [[Master of Arts|M.A]] in [[Political Science]] from [[Delhi University]] and [[BEd]] from [[Jamia Milia Islamia]]. He started his newspaper in the year 1983 which he edits till date and has written nearly five thousand articles and write-ups, which is a record in Urdu journalism. He has interviewed a large number of political leaders in his journalistic carrier spanning over four decades. He was appointed as the president of All India Urdu Editors Conference, member of All India Newspapers Editors Conference, Indian Federation of Small and Medium Newspapers Federation and Legislatures of India.<ref name="Milli G"/>

== Political career ==
Afzal began his political career in 1988 and got elected to [[Rajya Sabha]] in 1990 from Janta Dal.<ref>{{cite news |title=List of Former Members of Rajya Sabha (Term Wise) |url=https://rajyasabha.nic.in/rsnew/member_site/mpterms.aspx |work=[[Rajya Sabha]]}}</ref> As a member of parliament, he raised his voice on matters like enactment of [[Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act|TADA]] or innocent people arrested under [[Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act|TADA]], repression in [[Kashmir]], disappearance of voters’ name from voters lists in the Parliament. He has also worked to promote the [[Urdu language]] and Urdu journalism.<ref name="tribuneindia">{{cite news |title=Call to bring Urdu out of the closet |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2003/20030917/ncr2.htm |work=[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)]]}}</ref> He also served as member of numerous consultative and standing committees of Parliament and Advisory Committee of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting for Urdu programs.<ref name="Milli G"/>

After disintegration of Janta Dal, he joined [[Indian National Congress]] in the year 2000<ref name="The Sunday Guardian"/> and was appointed as National Secretary of its Minority Department.<ref>{{cite news |title=Muslims need to fight for share in power and decision-making |url=http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/15092001/32.htm |work=[[The Milli Gazette]]}}</ref> In the year 2004 he was nominated as Vice-Chairman of [[Urdu Academy, New Delhi|Urdu Academy]], [[Government of Delhi]].<ref name="tribuneindia"/>

In 2005 he was appointed as an Indian ambassador to Angola<ref name="mea.gov"/> (also accredited to Republic of Congo and Gabon) during the government headed by [[Dr. Manmohan Singh]].<ref name="Milli G"/> Upon completing his tenure in Angola, he was appointed as an ambassador to [[Turkmenistan]].<ref name="The Sunday Guardian">{{cite news |last1=Anas |first1=Mohammed |title=Cong's Meem gets job of managing Urdu press |url=http://www.sunday-guardian.com/news/congs-meem-gets-job-of-managing-urdu-press |work=[[The Sunday Guardian]] |date=18 May 2013}}</ref>

After completing his diplomatic assignment in 2010, he joined active politics again and was appointed National Spokesperson of [[Indian National Congress]] party by the [[Congress President]] Smt. [[Sonia Gandhi]] in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rashid Alvi is Congress spokesperson no more |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/india/north/story/rashid-alvi-is-no-more-congress-spokesperson-161914-2013-05-06 |work=[[India Today]] |date=6 May 2013 |language=en}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Afzal is married to Shehnaz since 1977 and has a son Adeel and daughters Sana & Ariba.

== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkLOglIwcuw Interview of Senior Congress Leader Meem Afzal] on ''[[News18 Urdu]]''

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Afzal, Meem}}
[[Category:21st-century Indian politicians]]
[[Category:Members of the Parliament of India]]
[[Category:University of Delhi alumni]]
[[Category:Jamia Millia Islamia alumni]]
[[Category:People from Delhi]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1952 births]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Delhi]]
[[Category:Janata Dal politicians]]

Meem Afzal - Revision history

>Jaywardhan009 at 08:44, 14 November 2020