Category Our Presidents

            Dr. Zakir Husain was born on 8th February 1897, in Hyderabad. Dr. Husain was born to Fida Husain Khan and Naznin Begum. His father Fida Husain was a very popular advocate. His father died when he was only 10. The next year, Zakir and his family shifted to Etawah in Uttar Pradesh. He completed his school education from Islamic High School, Etawah. When he was 14, his mother too passed away leaving Husain and his six siblings orphaned.

            Later, he enrolled at the Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College, which is now popularly known by the name of Aligarh Muslim University, where he was a prominent student leader.

            In 1918, he passed his BA Honours, and joined for the MA course, but the Khilafat and non-cooperation movement led by Mahatma Gandhi, inspired him to leave the government administered college. For two years, from 1920 to 1922, he took up the position of a teacher at Jamia Milia University. He translated Plato’s ‘Republic’, and Cannon’s ‘Elementary Political Economy’, into Urdu. He received his doctorate in economics from the Frederick William University of Berlin.

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            Dr. Zakir Husain was the third President of India. He was a freedom fighter and educational reformer. He held office from 13th May 1967, until his death on 3rd May, 1969.

            Dr. Husain was the country’s first Muslim President, and also the first to die in office. He occupied the office for the shortest period. He was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1952 for the first time. He was elected for one more time in 1956. He became the Governor of Bihar in 1957. In 1962, he was elected as the second Vice President of India.

            He was someone who relentlessly worked for nationality, educational progress and secularism in India. The nation honoured him with the Padma Vibhushan in 1954, and then the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour in the country, in 1963.

            He was also the co-founder of the Jamia Milia Islamic University. Jamia Milia was very much involved in the freedom struggle of India. The colonial British government soon imprisoned many of its teachers and students. The university faced financial crisis and Dr. Zakir Husain, along with his friends, helped Jamia Milia to resolve the problems. He served as its Vice Chancellor for approximately 21 years.

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            Dr. S. Radhakrishnan’s birthday, which falls on 5th September, is celebrated as ‘Teacher’s Day’, in India since 1962. Dr. Radhakrishnan was India’s greatest teacher and a scholar in philosophy. In his opinion, teachers should be the best minds in the country.

            Some of his students and friends approached him and requested him to allow them to celebrate his birthday. In reply, Dr. Radhakrishnan said, “Instead of celebrating my birthday separately, it would be my proud privilege if September 5th is observed as ‘Teacher’s Day’. The request showed Dr. Radhakrishnan’s love for the teaching profession. From then on, his birthday is observed as ‘Teacher’s Day’, in India.

            Dr. Radhakrishnan was immensely popular among his students. Dr. Radhakrishnan was of the opinion that only the right kind of education could solve many ills of society, and the country. He always tried to bring in a change in the educational system to improve the quality of education.

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            Dr. S. Radhakrishnan authored many books, mainly on philosophy. The first book written by him was about the ‘Philosophy of Rabindranath Tagore’ (1918), which he believed to be the true manifestation of Indian spirit.

            Some among his major philosophical works were ‘Indian Philosophy’ (1923), ‘The Hindu View of Life’, (1926) and ‘An Idealist View of Life’.

            His other works include – ‘The Principal Upanishads’, published in 1953, ‘Eastern Religions and Western Thought’, ‘Religion and Society’, and ‘The Dhammapada’. One among his other notable works is ‘Religion, Science and Culture’.

            Other than these works, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan regularly contributed articles to many international and national journals throughout his life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            Dr. S. Radhakrishnan started his political career “rather late in life”, after his successful academic career. In 1931, he was nominated to the League of Nations Committee for intellectual Cooperation. When India became independent in 1947, Radhakrishnan represented the nation at the UNESCO from 1946 to 1952, and was later Ambassador of India to the Soviet Union, from 1949 to 1952.

            Jawaharlal Nehru decided to send Dr. Radhakrishnan to Moscow as India’s ambassador. Many people criticized this decision, asking how a philosopher like him could be a good diplomat, and deal with the strong communist leader of the Soviet Union, Joseph Stalin. But, Dr. Radhakrishnan managed to change the paradigm of India’s relationship with the Soviet Union, and developed a good rapport with Stalin.

            He was also elected to the Constituent Assembly of India. Radhakrishnan was elected as the first Vice President of India in 1952, and elected as the second President of India in 1962. His tenure as the President was eventful. He faced some of the biggest challenges to India’s integrity – the deaths of two of Independent India’s wars, with China and Pakistan.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

               Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born in Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu on 5th September 1888 into a poor Brahmin family. His father Sarvepalli Veeraswami was employed on a meagre salary in the zamindari. His mother’s name was Sitamma. It was difficult for Radhakrishnan’s father to educate him. Radhakrishnan was awarded scholarships throughout his academic life. He initially went to school in Tiruttani, and then went to the Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati for his high school.

               He initially joined Voorhees College in Vellore, but, later switched to the prestigious Madras Christian College at the age of 17. He chose philosophy as his major, and attained a BA and an MA in the field.

               He married Sivakamuamma in 1904, at the age of 16. The couple had five daughters and a son. They were married for 51 years, until, Sivakamuamma died in 1956.

              Dr. Radhakrishnan accepted an assistant lectureship at the Madras Presidency College in 1909. In 1918, Dr. Radhakrishnan was appointed as the professor of philosophy by the University of Mysore. He was immensely popular among his students.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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