User talk:M RAFI AHMED

About M Rafi Ahmed....

Born on July 19, 1955, Rafi had his schooling at Mani High School, Coimbatore. Thereafter pursued his Pre-University Course at Trichy Jamal Mohammed College and finally graduated in commerce from Coimbatore PSG Arts and Science College in 1977. His dad's calculations failed to work out as Rafi's mind revolved around penning off-beat stories which he developed further.

Even during his school days, he started penning human interest stories to magazines like Illustrated Weekly, Caravan, Current and Mirror. Not that easy for him to get his name in print. It took nearly two years for him to see his first story published in Illustrated Weekly when Khushwant Singh was the magazine editor. Subsequently, his stories continued to find a place in the magazine.

His keen interest for writing forced him to decline bank jobs that came his way then. And he got a slot as reporter for Bombay-based magazine Sunday Observer. After a two year stint, he moved to Chennai and joined a city-based tabloid. And Indian Express group gave him the opportunity for writing state-wide feature stories. Meanwhile, he got a slot as special correspondent for a tabloid 'City Observer' promoted by former Karnataka Chief Minister Gundu Rao that was published from Bangalore and Coimbatore.

Like getting a recognition to his writing, Chennai-based 'News Today' offered him a slot as special correspondent-cum-senior sub editor for which he served for five years. Thereafter, took up an assignment as secretariat reporter at Trinity Mirror between 2000 and 2004. Earlier, he had a short stint with Chennai Online news portal based at Nagercoil. Back to The New Indian Express, he served as chief reporter working in around 20 districts before landing in Coimbatore. And two year stint with Deccan Chronicle as chief reporter. Now heading the bureau at Trinity Mirror, Coimbatore edition.

Rafi was fortunate to work under the editorship of stalwarts like Arun Shourie, Ramanathan, IAS, Saeed Naqvi, Rajmohan Gandhi, M J Akbar, V S Karnic, Kamalendra Kanwar and Aditya Sinha. 'Weekend' Viswanathan affectionately called as YESWE among his readers, who retired as Readers Editor, The Hindu was his mentor, who brought the best out of him. Rafi's detailed study on drug peddling in Kasimedu area in North Chennai became full page cover story for Express Weekend, which earned the appreciation of the then Chief Minister M Karunanidhi.

Married to Shefa, a BSc in Botany, the couple have two children-a son and a daughter. Address for communication: Site No 10, 7th street, Thirumarai Nagar, Podanur, Coimbatore-641023 and mail id jshefa@gmail.com.