S. Abdul Majeed

S. ABDUL MAJEED

Date of Birth: 20^th December, 1909 and Date of Death: 10^th July, 2000

            S. Abdul Majeed, who showed high degree of commitment towards politics with democratic values, was born on 20^th December, 1909 at a village called Vakkom in Thiruvanthapuram district of Kerala state, from which several prominent leaders hailed.  Right from his childhood, he came under the enlightening influence of the liberal ideas of his maternal uncle Moulvi Vakkon Abdul Khader who was multifaceted personality, renowned social reformer and visionary.  In his school days, Abdul Majeed was attracted towards the anti British policies and social reforms and particularly towards the philosophical path shown by Narayana Guru, who denounced Caste System.  He married Suleha Bibi, daughter of Moulvi Khader.  At a time when National Movement was gaining momentum, he participated actively in it in Kerala.  He was among the top leadership of the movement and exerted great efforts in expanding and consolidating Indian National Congress in Travancore.  He strongly felt that liberation form social maladies was as important as emancipation form foreign rule and as such worked on both the fronts.  Abdul opposed the Pakistan resolution of Muslim League in 1940.  He advocated for a secular and Nationalist India which alone could keep people of all regions and religions united.  The British Government records reckon him as the first among the few activists of National Movement in Travancore area who had exhibited high degree of courage during the Quit India Movement in 1942.  On account of that, he was in jail for several months.  He opposed the Independent Travancore Movement which demanded secession of Travancore form India, as a result of which he had to be in jail again and again.  In 1948, he was unanimously elected to Travancore-Cochin state assembly.  He retired from politics after completing his tenure as the people’s representative in 1952.  In 1972 the Government of India honoured him as a freedom fighter with a grand felicitation.  He wrote several books propagating social reform and seeking the creation of a society imbibed with human values and modern free atmosphere.  He involved himself in reading, writing and guiding people towards reforms till the end of life.  S. Abdul Majeed breathed his last on 10^th July, 2000.