Zakaria and Bandra
Those were the days of ‘Cow and Calf ’; well before the ‘Hand’ became official symbol of Indian National congress. In election time, paper posters of Indira Gandhi with slogans of Garibi Hatao would get plastered on the yellow walls of Government servant’s colony in Bandra East. Name of Zakaria often would figure in those election campaigns. Only later I learnt the connection between Ahmed, Rafiq and Fareed Zakaria . Ahmed was nephew of Mr Rafiq Zakaria – learned and articulate person. While canvassing for his nephew, I remember him telling my father ‘There is no point in canvassing middle class dominated Kalanagar - MIG area – You would never vote for congress!”. It was the fact. Most of the bourgeois population of Bandra had turned into an anti-establishment and often voted for opposition Jan Sangh , Socialist party, or later Shiv Sena. I do not know much about the contribution of Ahmed Zakaria or other Shiv Sena Corporators who did not even attempt to make make a good r...