Maulana Abul Kalam
● Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was born on November 11, 1888 in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
● His original name was Muhiyuddin Ahmed.
● His early life was spent in Kolkata and due to being very meritorious in studies, he completed his education as well as acquired expertise in Reasoning, English, history and Urdu.
● Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was an outstanding journalist as well as a leading scholar of Urdu language. He started writing poems in Urdu only at the age of 12.
● He operated newspapers like 'Alhilal' and 'Albalag' and compiled books like Gubare-e-Khatir, Hijr-o-Vasal, Khatbat-l-Azad, Hamari Azadi and Tajkara, apart from 'India Wins Freedom'.
● He translated Quran from Arabic to Urdu which was later published in six volumes by Sahitya Akademi.
● Understanding Lord Curzon's decision of partition of Bengal very well, he got involved in public awareness in the context of the Indian independence movement.
● He was a staunch opponent of partition and a supporter of Hindu-Muslim unity.
● Azad supported the Non-Cooperation Movement (1920–22) launched by Gandhiji and joined the Indian National Congress in 1920.
● He was one of the founding members of the Jamia Millia Islamia University which was originally established in the year 1920 at Aligarh, United Provinces.
● In the Ramgarh session of the year 1940, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad again discharged the post of Congress President and in this session 'Ramgarh Resolution' was passed.
● During the Quit India Movement, Maulana Abul Kalam was arrested along with top Congress leaders and sent to 'Ahmednagar Fort Jail' where he was imprisoned for 3 years.
● After the independence of India, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad joined as the first education minister of the country and he made a radical change in the Indian education system.
● Maulana Abul Kalam Azad consistently advocated reforms such as universal primary education, free and compulsory education for children up to the age of 14, girls' education, vocational training and technical education.
● In view of the lack of cultural elements in the colonial education system by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, in order to preserve and develop the heritage of Indian art and culture, he contributed significantly in the establishment of excellent institutions like Sangeet Natak Akademi (1953), Sahitya Akademi (1954) and Lalit Kala Akademi (1954) dedicated to Indian art.
● Due to the efforts of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the 'School of Planning' was established in Delhi along with the 'University Grants Commission'.
● He died on February 22, 1958.
● From the year 2008, National Education Day is celebrated every year on 11th November to mark the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
● Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was posthumously awarded India's highest civilian honor 'Bharat Ratna' in the year 1992.
Maulana Abul Kalam
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