Rafiq Raijar

{{Infobox person|born=October 11, 1914 Visaha, Vizhutu State, Vizhutuan Federation|died=November 1, 2008 {aged {{age|1914|10|11|2008|11|1}}) Visaha, Vizhutu State, Vizhutua|children=3 (including Bhaswar)|spouse(s)=Aakanksha Patel (m. 1934; div. 1935) Aisya R. Jalayi (m. 1935; d. 2003)|name=Personal details|political_party=Vizhutuan People's Party|nationality=Vizhutuan|occupation=Politician, military officer|parents=Cairo Raijar (father) Jasmine Covarrubias (mother)|alma_mater=Visaha National University|family=Raijar family}}Rafiq Saleh Raijar (Sarwabhasa: ; Raficq Raiyar, October 11, 1914 - November 1, 2008) was a Vizhutuan military officer turned politician. He served as the Prime Minister of Vizhutua from 1973 to 1986. He was the second of three generations of the Raijar family to be head of government of Vizhutua. His tenure is ranked above-average by most historians, although he is ranked the lowest among the three generations of Raijars.

Early life
Rafiq Raijar was born on October 11, 1914, in Visaha to Cairo Raijar and Jasmine Rajiar Covarrubias. He attended the famous Hianghun Academy in his teens and attended the Visaha National University, earning a master's in electrical engineering in 1935. Shortly after, he entered the military, serving in the Vizhutuan Army.

Military career
In September 1942, Vizhutua entered. Raijar, then a major, was directed to move to the northern port city of Guerut to prepare to fight against invaders. On May 8, 1943, during the Second Battle of Guerut, Raijar was injured while trying to save his comrades from shelling. Raijar received the Sacrifice Medal as a result.

In 1954, Raijar was finally promotoed to General. From 1970 to 1972, he was the Chief of Army Staff.

Political career
Although Raijar was in the military, he also had a strong interest in politics, possibly due to his father, who had been an active member of politics and Prime Minister since 1944. In 1966, his father promoted him to the Minister of Defense. As Cairo Raijar's health started to decline, his son was increasingly involved in political matters. In the 1966 federal election, Raijar became a member of Parliament for the Ewang district.

Prime minister (1973-1986)
On July 13, 1973, interim prime minister Suresh R. Patil called a snap election and dissolved parliament. A few days later, he said that he would not run in the election, possibly to let Rajiar be elected. The snap election resulted in another majority for the Vizhutuan People's Party, and Raijar officially took office on November 16.

Raijar's tenure was marked by the continuation of his father's policies, known as Raijarism. In 1977, he pushed for a resolution condemning the 1977 Vlokozuian invasion of Vicnora along with the rest of the Non-Aligned Movement and the Soviet bloc.

However, Raijar attracted controversy following the 1980-81 Vizhutuan floods, when a series of tropical cyclones hit Vizhutua. Raijar’s slow response to the floods caused anger and a fall in popularity in the Vizhutuan People’s Party-ruled government. More and more opposition candidates would be elected in the following years.

In 1986, Raijar decided not to run for another term, as he had suffered a heart attack in 1985. He announced that his eldest son, Bhaswar Raijar, would take over.

Later life and death
After entering private life, Raijar continued to be an active person in Vizhutuan politics. In 2000, he said he was "disappointed" by his son's behavior in the Kheng Tin scandal, and joined calls for him to resign in order to "stop the disgrace of the Raijar name".

On November 1, 2008, Raijar passed away due to complications from dementia. Three days of mourning were declared, and a state funeral was held on November 16, the anniversary of when he stepped into office back in 1973.