Iftikhar Hussain Ansari
{{short description| Indian politician, businessman and religious scholar }}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox politician
| name = Iftikhar Hussain Ansari
| native_name = مولانا مولوى افتخار حسين انصارى
| image =
| occupation = Cabinet minister and MLA
| constituency = Pattan, Baramulla, Kashmir
| residence = Darul Jawad,Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir
| alma_mater = Sultanul Madaris, Lucknow, India
Hawza Elmia Najaf, Najaf, Iraq
| birth_date = 26 April 1942
| birth_place = Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|9|30|1942
|4|26|df=y}}
| resting_place = Baba Mazar,Zadibal,Srinagar
| party = Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party
| otherparty = *President, All Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association,
- Chairman Imam Hussain A.S Charitable Trust
- Patron, Mouarifat-ul-Uloom Islami
- Indian National Congress
- Jammu and Kashmir National Conference
| children = Imran Raza Ansari, Irfan Raza Ansari, and a daughter
| signature =
}}
Iftikhar Hussain Ansari (26 April 1942 – 30 September 2014), widely known among his followers as Moulvi Sahib, was a Kashmiri Shia cleric, politician, businessman and a proponent of the Grand Ashura Procession In Kashmir.
He was one of the leading shia clerics in Kashmir and had close relations with multiple other important scholars such as Sayyid Jawad Shahristani, Mohammad Alavi Gorgani and Lotfollah Safi Golpaygani. He studied at Sultanul Madaris Lucknow, as well as Hawza Najaf.{{cite web|title= Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari; A Brief Inteoduction|url= https://kashmirlife.net/molvi-iftikhar-hussain-ansari-a-brief-introduction-65994/|publisher=Kashmir Life|accessdate=30 September 2014}}
He succeeded his father Muhammad Jawad Ansari as president of the All Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association in Jammu & Kashmir in 1962, a position which he held for life.{{cite web|title=Shias of Kashmir: Socio-Political Dilemmas|url=http://kashmirobserver.net/news/features/shias-kashmir-socio-political-dilemmas|publisher=Kashmir Observer|accessdate=24 April 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104214200/http://kashmirobserver.net/news/features/shias-kashmir-socio-political-dilemmas|archivedate=4 January 2013}} He was four-time member of Jammu and Kashmir's Legislative Assembly for the Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party from Pattan Assembly segment;{{cite web | title=PDP MLA Iftikhar Hussain Ansari passes away | website=The Hindu | date=30 September 2014 |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/pdp-mla-iftikhar-hussain-ansari-passes-away/article6460851.ece | access-date=25 July 2023}} he was earlier a member of the National Conference and Congress.{{cite web|title=Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari|url=http://kashmirlife.net/molvi-iftikhar-hussain-ansari/|publisher=Kashmir Life|accessdate=24 April 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131017104327/http://www.kashmirlife.net/molvi-iftikhar-hussain-ansari/|archivedate=17 October 2013}}
In 1978, He along with Abdul Ghani Lone founded the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference of which his son and brother are now a part.
Political career
Iftikhar Hussain Ansari was a prominent politician known for his four-term tenure as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from the Pattan Assembly segment in Jammu and Kashmir. He garnered a substantial following among the Shia community in the state due to his background as a Shia cleric.{{cite web | title=PDP MLA Iftikhar Hussain Ansari passes away | website=The Economic Times | date=30 September 2014 |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/pdp-mla-iftikhar-hussain-ansari-passes-away/articleshow/43882592.cms | access-date=25 July 2023}}
Ansari's political journey commenced in the 1960s when he entered the realm of public service. In 1973, he was nominated as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC) on the ticket of the Indian National Congress. However, during the 1977 elections, he shifted his allegiance to the Janata Party.{{cite web | title=Molvi Iftikhar Ansari's demise a major loss for PDP | website=Early Times Newspaper Jammu Kashmir | date=26 April 1940 |url=https://www.earlytimes.in/newsdet.aspx?q=132658 | access-date=25 July 2023}}
Returning to the Indian National Congress fold in the 1980s, Ansari's leadership qualities were recognized, and he was appointed as the leader of the Legislature party in the Jammu and Kashmir State Assembly from 1983 to 1987.
In 1996, he secured a victory in the state legislative assembly elections, once again on a Congress ticket, and subsequently assumed a ministerial role in the National Conference (NC) government, headed by Farooq Abdullah.
Ansari's association with various political parties continued over the years. In 2002, he joined the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) and successfully contested the election from the Pattan Assembly constituency. However, in 2006, he decided to switch to the People's Democratic Party (PDP). Unfortunately, he faced defeat in the ensuing by-election.{{cite web | title=PDP MLA Ansari dead | website=Deccan Herald | date=30 September 2014 |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/national/pdp-mla-ansari-dead-418037.html | access-date=25 July 2023}}
In the 2008 elections, Ansari secured a significant win on a PDP ticket, further solidifying his political standing within the state. {{As of|2014}}, he was nominated as the party's candidate for the forthcoming assembly elections, reflecting the trust and support he enjoyed within the party ranks.{{cite web | title=PDP MLA Iftikhar Hussain Ansari passes away | website=The Indian Express | date=30 September 2014 |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-others/pdp-mla-iftikhar-hussain-ansari-passes-away/ | access-date=25 July 2023}}
Assassinations
Ansari was thrice the target of unsuccessful assassination attempts. In June 2000, Ansari barely escaped the explosion of a landmine while addressing a religious congregation at Gund Khwaja Qasim. The blast killed twelve of his followers. On 1 September 2000, Ansari was injured by an IED explosion that killed two policemen and a driver. Police suspected the Hizbul Mujahideen.{{cite news|title=Hizbul Momineen Behind Twin Attacks On Ansari: DGP|url=http://www.jammu-kashmir.com/archives/archives2000/kashmir20000902a.html|newspaper=The Times of India|date=2 September 2000|access-date=25 April 2013|archive-date=18 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190318005325/http://www.jammu-kashmir.com/archives/archives2000/kashmir20000902a.html|url-status=dead}}
Death
Ansari died at his residence in Dar ul Jawad, Qamarwari, Srinagar on the morning of 30 September 2014 after a prolonged liver illness.{{Cite web |url=http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2014/Oct/1/influential-leader-molviiftikharhussain-ansari-passes-away-28.asp |title=Influential leader MolviIftikharHussain Ansari passes away Lastupdate:- Wed, 1 Oct 2014 18:30:00 GMT GreaterKashmir.com |access-date=1 October 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006151632/http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2014/Oct/1/influential-leader-molviiftikharhussain-ansari-passes-away-28.asp |archive-date=6 October 2014 |url-status=dead }} Ansari had been undergoing specialized treatment in the United States. Various political, religious and social leaders offered condolences. Several hundred thousand people attended his funeral, from Qamarwari to Zadibal imambargah where namaz e jenazah was offered.{{Cite web |url=http://www.jandknow.com/news/09303673-pdps-molvi-iftikhar-hussain-ansari-passes-away | title=PDP's Molvi Iftikhar Hussain Ansari passes away|website=Jandknow.com| date=2014-09-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191009202721/http://jandknow.com/news/09303673-pdps-molvi-iftikhar-hussain-ansari-passes-away |archive-date=9 October 2019}} He was buried in his ancestral graveyard, Baba Mazar, Alamgari Bazar, Zadibal, Srinagar.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{cite web|title=IFTIKHAR HUSSAIN ANSARI Srinagar (JAMMU & KASHMIR)|url=http://myneta.info/ls2009/candidate.php?candidate_id=6759|publisher=National Election Watch. My Neta|access-date=25 April 2013}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansari, Iftikhar Hussain}}
Category:Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party politicians
Category:Indian National Congress politicians from Jammu and Kashmir
Category:Jammu & Kashmir National Conference politicians
Category:Jammu and Kashmir MLAs 1983–1986
Category:Jammu and Kashmir MLAs 1996–2002