Doctor Syed Mehmood

DR. SYED MEHMOOD

Date of Birth: 1889 and Date of Death: 28^th September, 1971

            Doctor Syed Mehmood, who warned people that the two nation theory and the campaign that Muslims were the sons of Pakistani soil were dangerous to themselves as well as the future of India, was born in 1889 in Syedpur village, Ghaziapur district of Uttar Pradesh.  While he was studying at Aligarh, he actively participated in the strike against the British principal, for which he was debarred from the college and branded as Anti-British.  He took part in the Indian National Congress Conference which was held at Benaras.  He played an active role in the All India Muslim League during the early days of its formation.  He obtained a doctorate in Law in 1911 and started practice in Patna.  He attended the meeting of the Muslim League, which was held in Bombay in 1915.  He also took active role in the Khilafat and Non Cooperation Movement in 1919 in response to the call given by Mahatma Gandhi and was imprisoned several times for his participation in the Indian National Movement.  He won in the elections of 1937 from South Champaran constituency to Bihar Legislative Assembly, which were held as per the Government of India Act, 1935.  He was again elected in 1946 to the Bihar Legislative Assembly and became a Minister.  He was interested in the socialist system of society.  He encouraged the cottage industries and cooperative farms.  He opined that as long as economic inequalities among the people were not wiped out, India won’t achieve total development.  He strongly opposed the divisive politics of the Muslim League.  He criticized the leaders who were demanding a separate nation.  He worked for the rehabilitation of Hindu, Muslim and Sikh victims, who suffered huge losses during the riots after the division of the nation.  Later, he was elected from the East Champaran constituency to Loksabha in the first general elections held in 1952.  He made several suggestions for the election reforms in order to curtail communalism.  He wrote several books for the promotion of harmony between the Hindu and Muslim communities.  Dr. Syed Mehmood, who played multi faceted role in the Indian National Movement, died on 28^th September, 1971 in Delhi.