New Delhi. By the way, that date was 6 May 1967, when the results of the country’s third presidential election were about to come. On the one hand, there was complete opposition against the Prime Minister of the country, Indira Gandhi. So there was Dr. Zakir Hussain, the presidential candidate from the same Congress. Here K. Subbarao was the candidate from the opposition side. Now as if the entire opposition had in a way united against Dr. Zakir Hussain. At that time, a different atmosphere had also been created in the country, because at that time there was an attempt on behalf of the Jana Sangh to send the message that a Muslim can never be accepted as the President of the country.
But then in the evening of the same day, the broadcast of All India Radio was stopped midway because the results of the presidential election were to be announced. That day it was told on the radio that Zakir Hussain had won the election of the country’s President by securing 4,71,244 votes out of a total of 8,38,170 votes. Of. Subbarao got 3,63,971 votes. In such a situation, India got the first Muslim President on that day.
So friends, today is the birthday of the same Zakir Hussain, who was born on this day in 1897. Although he was born in Hyderabad, but originally he was from Afghanistan. In such a situation, his ancestors came to India from Afghanistan in the 18th century. Zakir Hussain had a very difficult childhood. When he was 10 years old, his father had passed away. At the same time, after 4 years his mother also passed away. But it was also the result of his hard work that Zakir Hussain, who came from the Afridi clan of Pashtuns, went ahead and did his PhD in Economics from the University of Berlin.
Jamia Millia University was established
Similarly, in the British Raj, together with only 18 people, Zakir Hussain laid the foundation of a new university and named it – Jamia Millia Islamia. This university was established on 29 October 1920. Then in the year 1925, this university was shifted from Aligarh to Delhi. From 1926 to 1948, Zakir Hussain was the Vice-Chancellor of this university. After that, from 1948 to 1956, he also became the Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University.
died like this
By the way, Dr. Zakir Hussain’s health was often poor. Only in the year 1957, when Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru went to him with the offer of the post of Governor of Bihar, he had refused at first due to ill health, but later on Nehru’s request, he also agreed.
It is also said that Zakir Hussain used to have a medical checkup every day. Similarly, on the morning of May 3, 1969, he had to undergo a medical checkup again. At 11.45 am, the doctor reached to check up on him. Then he said that he would come back from the bathroom and get the checkup done, but when the door did not open for half an hour, his assistant knocked on his door. But by then Zakir Hussain had passed away. At that time the tricolor of all the government buildings of the country was lowered in his honor.
So friends, in this way the first Muslim President of our country could not even complete his term properly. But his patriotic spirit still inspires our new generation to do something for the country.