The National Education Day /h4>
Every year on the 11th of November, India pays tribute to Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, its first ever education minister. Back in 2008, the former Ministry of Human Resource Development, now known as the Ministry of Education, marked Azad’s birthday as National Education Day. The purpose of this day is to stress upon the significance of education with events such as seminars, essay-writing competitions and workshops taking place across educational institutions nationwide.
The Journey of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad
Originally named Muhiyuddin Ahmad, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was born on 11th November, 1888 in Mecca, Saudi-Arabia. “Abul Kalam”, his name, translates to “Lord of Dialogues”, a fitting descriptor given his reputation as an excellent debater. Azad wore many hats throughout his life – he was a journalist, freedom fighter, politician, and finally, an educationist.
Pre-Independence Contributions
Azad was widely known for advocating Hindu-Muslim unity, actively protest against Partition. In the year 1912, he launched a weekly Urdu journal titled ‘Al-Hilal’ which aimed to restore harmony between Hindus and Muslims that had been tarnished by the Morley-Minto reforms in 1909.
The government, considering Al-Hilal as seditious, banned it in 1914. Later, Azad started another weekly called Al-Balagh, promoting Indian nationalism based on Hindu-Muslim unity. In 1916, this too was banned. He was subsequently expelled from Calcutta and exiled to Bihar.
Azad joined the Indian National Congress in 1920, supporting the Non-Cooperation Movement started by Mahatma Gandhi. By 1923, he was elected as the President of the Indian National Congress, becoming the youngest to hold this position at just 35-years-old.
His Fight for Freedom
Maulana Azad’s resistance against the British rule saw him being arrested in 1930 for breaking the salt laws during Gandhi’s Salt Satyagraha. A year and a half of his life were spent in Meerut jail because of this. In 1940, he was again given the role of the president of Congress, which he held until 1946.
Maulana Azad: The Educationist
Maulana Azad had a profound impact on education within India. He advocated a blend of Eastern and Western education concepts aimed at creating an integrated personality. While Eastern philosophies emphasized spiritual excellence and individual salvation, Western education was more focused on worldly achievements and social progress.
In 1920, he was instrumental in establishing the Jamia Milia Islamia University, initially founded in Aligarh. His written works are numerous and include “Basic Concept of Quran”, “Ghubar-eKhatir”, “Dars-e-Wafa”, and “India Wins Freedom”.
Post-Independence: Building a New India
After attaining independence in 1947, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad served as the first education minister of India until his death in 1958. During his tenure, he set up several pioneering institutions that have significantly contributed to India’s progress. These include the first IIT and IISc, the School of Planning and Architecture, and the University Grants Commission.
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations was established under his leadership for promoting Indian culture globally. He also initiated three academies – Sahitya Academy for literature, Sangeet Natak Academy for music and dance, and Lalit Kala Academy for painting. For his invaluable contributions, he was posthumously awarded India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna in 1992.