Shafiqur Rahman Barq: Imposing Muslim face of Sambhal, adjoining areas
The SP MP, who died on Feb 27 aged 94, worked with Chaudhary Charan Singh and also remained a strong voice of Muslim politics
The demise of senior Samajwadi Party (SP) leader and Sambhal MP Shafiqur Rahman Barq, 94, has created a void for the party as the veteran dominated the politics of Sambhal and adjoining areas for over five decades. A strong face of Muslim politics of the area, Barq, however, always advocated Hindu-Muslims unity.
Javed Ali Khan, SP’s Rajya Sabha MP and a resident of Sambhal, said, “Barq Saheb was our veteran leader who always worked for raising the voice of the poor and the oppressed and his demise is indeed a big loss to the party.” Party’s former youth wing national secretary Ayub Ansari said, “Barq Saheb was a well wisher of the poor in true sense.”
He recalled a joke about Barq that whenever someone asked about his location, people close to him would say “must be sitting at a barber’s shop”. Former minister and SP leader Manzoor Ahmad said, “He was full of energy even in his old age and therefore an inspiration for the politicians of this generation. He was bold and never hesitated in putting forth his views even if they triggered controversies.”
He further said that new leadership will take over his legacy but the void created by his demise won’t be easy to fill. Barq was often criticised for his controversial statements which kept him in news. He once said that Vande Mataram is against Islam and that Muslims cannot follow it.
He also stoked controversy by defending Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and equated it with India’s freedom struggle. Sambhal is a Muslim-dominated constituency where Muslims have 50.17 percent share in votes and majority of them are Turk Muslims who claim to be descendants of Turks.
Barq was also a Turk Muslim. In the 2022 U.P. assembly polls, the SP had won four—Sambhal, Asmoli, Kundarki and Bilari—of the five assembly seats of Sambhal Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP had won only Chandausi seat there. Barq worked with Chaudhary Charan Singh and also remained a strong voice of Muslim politics who was also a member of Babri Masjid Action Committee.
The SP had declared him the party’s candidate from Sambhal seat in the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Even, PM Narendra Modi had admired his dedication despite his old age. Barq passed on his political legacy to his grandson Zia ur Rahman Barq and worked hard to ensure his victory as a Samajwadi Party candidate from Kundarki constituency in the 2022 assembly election.
