just more info
a guy born in Macca in SA become 1st Education minister and contributed in temple of learning in india
Abul Kalam Muhiyuddin Ahmed Azad pronunciation (
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info) (
Bengali: আবুল কালাম মুহিয়ুদ্দিন আহমেদ আজাদ;
Urdu: ابو الکلام محی الدین احمد آزاد "Abul Kalam Azad") (11 November 1888 – 22 February 1958) was an Indian scholar and a senior political leader of the
Indian independence movement. Following India's independence, he became the first
Minister of Education in the Indian government. In 1992 he was
posthumously awarded India's highest civilian award, the
Bharat Ratna.
[1] There is also a theory which suggests that earlier when he was offered Bharat Ratna he promptly declined it saying that it should not be given to those who have been on the selection committee. Later he was awarded posthumously in 1992. He is commonly remembered as
Maulana Azad; the word Maulana is an honorific meaning 'learned man', and he had adopted
Azad (
Free) as his pen name. His contribution to establishing the education foundation in India is recognised by celebrating his birthday as "National Education Day" across India.
[2]
As a young man, Azad composed poetry in
Urdu language, as well as treatises on religion and philosophy. He rose to prominence through his work as a journalist, publishing works critical of the
British Raj and espousing the causes of
Indian nationalism. Azad became the leader of the
Khilafat Movement, during which he came into close contact with the Indian leader
Mahatma Gandhi. Azad became an enthusiastic supporter of Gandhi's ideas of non-violent
civil disobedience, and worked to organise the
non-co-operation movement in protest of the 1919
Rowlatt Acts. Azad committed himself to Gandhi's ideals, including promoting
Swadeshi (indigenous) products and the cause of
Swaraj (
Self-rule) for
India. In 1923, at an age of 35, he became the youngest person to serve as the
President of the
Indian National Congress.
Azad was one of the main organisers of the
Dharasana Satyagraha in 1931, and emerged as one of the most important national leaders of the time, prominently leading the causes of Hindu-Muslim unity as well as espousing
secularism and socialism.
[3] He served as Congress president from 1940 to 1945, during which the
Quit India rebellion was launched. Azad was imprisoned, together with the entire Congress leadership, for three years. Azad became the most prominent Muslim opponent of the demand for a separate Muslim state of
Pakistan and served in the interim national government.
Amidst communal turmoil following the partition of India, he worked for religious harmony. As India's Education Minister, Azad oversaw the establishment of a national education system with free primary education and modern institutions of higher education. He is also credited with the establishment of the
Indian Institutes of Technology and the foundation of the
University Grants Commission, an important institution to supervise and advance the higher education in the nation.
[3
Legacy and influence
Azad is remembered as amongst the leading Indian nationalists of his time. His firm belief in Hindu-Muslim unity earned him the respect of the Hindu community and he still remains one of the most important symbols of communal harmony in modern India. His work for education and social upliftment in India made him an important influence in guiding India's economic and social development.
The Ministry of Minority Affairs of the central Government of India set up the Maulana Azad Education Foundation in 1989 on the occasion of his birth centenary to promote education amongst educationally backward sections of the Society.
[28] The Ministry also provides the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad National Fellowship, an integrated five-year fellowship in the form of financial assistance to students from minority communities to pursue higher studies such as M. Phil and PhD
[29]
Numerous institutions across India have also been named in his honour. Some of them are the
Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi, the
Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology in
Bhopal, the
Maulana Azad National Urdu University in
Hyderabad, Maulana Azad Centre for Elementary and Social Education (MACESE
Delhi University) the
Maulana Azad College in
Kolkata, the Maulana Azad library in the Aligarh Muslim University in Aligarh and
Maulana Azad Stadium in
Jammu. He is celebrated as one of the founders and greatest patrons of the Jamia Millia Islamia. Azad's tomb is located next to the
Jama Masjid in Delhi. In recent years great concern has been expressed by many in India over the poor maintenance of the tomb.
[19] On 16 November 2005 the
Delhi High Court ordered that the tomb of Maulana Azad in New Delhi be renovated and restored as a major national monument. Azad's tomb is a major landmark and receives large numbers of visitors annually.
[30]
Jawaharlal Nehru referred to him as
Mir-i- Karawan (the caravan leader), "a very brave and gallant gentleman, a finished product of the culture that, in these days, pertains to few".
[19] "The Emperor of learning" remarked
Mahatma Gandhi about Azad counting him as "a person of the calibre of Plato, Aristotle and Pythagorus".
[23]
Azad was portrayed by actor
Virendra Razdan in the 1982 biographical film,
Gandhi, directed by
Richard Attenborough.
[31]
His Birthday, 11 November is celebrated as National Education Day in India.