By VM Khaleelur Rahman,
Chennai: The OMEIAT (Organisation of Muslim Educational Institutions and Associations of Tamil Nadu) and the SIET (The Southern India Education Trust) jointly organized “Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Memorial Lecture & Awareness Programme on the Schemes of Maulana Azad Education Foundation” on 20th November 2013 at the Auditorium of Justice Basheer Ahmed Sayeed College for Women, Chennai.
Mr. U. Mohamed Khalilullah, Chairman, Omeiat, presided over the function and Padma Bhushan Mr. Moosa Raza IAS (Retd), Chairman, SIET, inaugurated the programme and delivered a keynote Address of the life and great contributions of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad to the cause of Indian freedom struggle and Hindu-Muslim unity.
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U. Mohamed Khalilullah, Chairman, Omeiat
Others who spoke on the occasion were Mrs. Yasmin Ahmed, IAS (Retd), Mr. S. Peter Alphonse, Former Member of Parliament, Prof. Dr. S. Sumayaa Davood, Principal, Thassim Beevi Abdul Kader College for Women, Kilakarai and Prof. Dr. S. Sathikh, General Secretary, Omeiat, former Vice-Chancellor, University of Madras.
The following is a brief account of the life of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad:
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was born on November 11, 1888 in what is now called Makkah and his birth time name was Mohiuddin Ahmed and only after sometime he was known as Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. He belonged to a family of scholars and divines. In 1857 his father had left Calcutta for Arabia and married there. However he returned with his family to India in 1890.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was a great visionary, freedom fighter, scholar, eminent educationist and the first Education Minister of Independent India.
Throughout his life he served for the twin causes of freedom and justice. A champion of liberal and secular values, he worked for the unity and integrity of India both during the freedom movement and after independence. It was he who laid the foundation of India’s educational policy and planning.
A great institutional builder, he created the University Grants Commission (UGC), the National Academies – the Sangeet Natak Akademy, Sahitya Akademy, Lalit Kala Akademy and Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), strengthened the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and oversaw the establishment of a chain of top class technical institutions that now represent the best in the Indian Education System. Under his distinguished leadership, the Indian institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur was establilshed in 1951, which was followed by a chain of IITs at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kanpur and so on.
Maulana Abul Kalam Azad had been suffering from cardiac problems for some time. Matter reached critical proportions when he suffered a stroke. He breathed his last on February 22, 1958.
The celebration of Maulana Azad’s birth anniversary – November 11- as the National Education Day is a befitting homage to one of our greatest leaders. It is an occasion when all of us should re-dedicate ourselves to the cause of education and through it building India as a modern knowledge society.
Scheme of Maulana Azad Education Foundation (MAEF):
Maulana Azad National Scholarship for Meritorious Girl Students and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Literary Award, Grant for construction or expansion of school, college, vocational training centre, ITI building, hostel building, purchase of lab equipment, computer and furniture etc. are available.
