A commemorative postage stamp on Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, 5^th President of India (1974-77), imposed national Emergency on the advice of then prime minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 :

Issued by India

Issued on Mar 22, 1977

Type : Stamp, Used Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 25 Paise

Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms.

Printing size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Watermark : Unwatermarked paper

Number printed : 30,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 35

Printing process : Photogravure

Designed and Printed at : India Security Press

Name : Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed

Born on May 13, 1905 at Delhi, British India

Died on Feb 11, 1977 at New Delhi, India

About : 

• The late President, Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, was one of India’s noblest sons. He was a great patriot, an able administrator, a far-sighted statesman, a devout Muslim and above all, a true representative of the composite culture of our country. By dint of devoted and outstanding services, he occupied an eminent position in our national life. He adorned the highest office in the land with great dignity and charm. He always cherished the ideals of secularism, socialism and democracy and made a significant contribution towards the strengthening of the bonds of national unity and solidarity.
• The commemorative stamp that is being brought out to coincide with the Chehlum ceremony of the late Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed is but a token of the nation’s homage to this great leader. I am sure Fakhruddin Saheb’s life of service and sacrifice will always be remembered and his ideals will be a source of inspiration to guide us forward on the path of unity, peace and progress.
• Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi – 110004
  India
  March 9, 1977
• President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed represented a fine blend of personal and national qualities. He was a man of culture and equanimity of spirit. He was a nationalist of unsullied integrity who gave his energy to the service of the nation. In high office he remained as unostentatious and approachable as ever. In his travels abroad and in his meetings with international statesmen he enhanced the country’s prestige. His example of service and serenity will be long cherished by our people. The commemorative stamp which is being issued is a small token of the nation’s gratitude to a great Indian.
• Prime Minister
  (Indira Gandhi)
  Hyderabad,
  March 4, 1977
• Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed who rose to the highest office in the country was a distinguished patriot and symbol of national unity and culture. In the course of an eventful career he held several high offices with distinction and dignity.
• A talented administrator and a sagacious statesman, Shri Ahmed had always the interests of the nation uppermost in his mind. He had in particular a great concern for the poor and the downtrodden and strove untiringly for their uplift.
• A warm-hearted and gentle person, imbued with a deep sense of humanity and compassion, Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed endeared himself to one and all. His passing away is a grievous and irreparable loss to the country.
• Shanker Dayal Sharma
  Minister of Communications
  India
  March 12, 1977
• The Gazette of India
  Extraordinary
  PART I – Section 1
  President’s Secretariat
  Notification
  New Delhi, the 13^th February 1977
  • No. 22-Pres/77. – At eight-fifty two hours on the morning of Friday, February 11, 1977, death came suddenly to Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, fifth president of the Republic of India. A staunch nationalist, an illustrious statesman, he symbolised the best traditions of India’s composite culture serving the nation with exemplary dedication for over 45 years.
  • Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was born on May 13, 1905 in Delhi. After a early education in the Government High Schools at Gonda in Uttar Pradesh and at Delhi, he passed the Matriculation Examination of Punjab University in 1921. He then joined St. Stephens’ College, Delhi, but he soon proceeded to England, where he was admitted to St. Catherine’s College of Cambridge University. Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed graduated from Cambridge in 1927 in History Tripos. After completing the Law Course, he was called the Bar from the Inner Temple in London.
  • On his return to India, he got himself enrolled as an Advocate of the Punjab High Court and later moved to Assam with his father in 1928. Except for a brief period, when he practised in Calcutta, Assam became the centre of his political activities. His intense spirit of nationalism soon overtook his career and in 1931 he became a Member of the Indian National Congress, which was then spearheading the struggle for the liberation of the country under Mahatma Gandhi’s leadership. In 1937, he successfully contested the election to the Assam Assembly in the teeth of opposition from those ranged against the national movement.
  • Since 1936, Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was almost continuously a Member of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, Working Committee of the Pradesh Congress Committee and the All India Congress Committee. After the elections to the Provincial Assembly in 1938, he joined the first Congress Cabinet in Assam under the Chief Ministership of Gopinath Bardoloi in 1938-39. He was in charge of Finance and Revenue Departments. His tenure of office in the Bardoloi Cabinet was memorable for some of the radical agrarian measures which he piloted with commendable zeal. Being aware of the plight of poor farmers and in pursuance of the commitment to introduce land reform measures, Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was instrumental in providing 50 per cent remission in land revenue and initiated measures for the imposition of tax on agricultural income. He brought forward measures to tap alternative sources of revenue. His efforts resulted in augmenting the resources of the State even while affording relief to the peasantry.
  • When the Congress Governments resigned in 1939 on the declaration of the war, Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed also resigned his Ministership. He plunged into the Gandhian movement and offered individual Satyagraha in 1940 under the command of Mahatma Gandhi. He suffered imprisonment for one year.
  • Soon after his release, he was again taken as a security prisoner and was in detention continuously for a period of 3½ years before being released in April, 1945.
  • Although for a brief period he became Advocate-General of Assam in 1946, he was again involved in the nationalist movement, and became a Member of the Congress Working Committee. In 1952-53, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha.
  • In the 1957 General Elections, he was again elected to the Assam Assembly and in the following year, he joined the State Cabinet, holding charge of the portfolios of Finance, Law, Community Development, Panchayat and Local Self Government. He was re-elected to the State Assembly in 1962 and continued to remain a Minister in charge of most of the previous portfolios.
  • He became a Member of the Congress Parliamentary Board in 1964. In 1966, he was again elected to Rajya Sabha and on 29^th January; 1966, he became a Member of the Central Cabinet, first in charge of Irrigation and Power and later of Education.
  • In the General Elections in 1967, he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Barapeta constituency in Assam. On March 13, 1967, he was appointed Cabinet Minister for Industrial Development and Company Affairs.
  • As the Minister of Industrial Development and Company Affairs, he was responsible for evolving a new industrial policy designed to promote accelerated growth, a wider base for small and ancillary industries, paying special attention to backward areas and selective in the matter of foreign collaboration. Another land-mark during his tenure in this Ministry was the piloting of the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Act.
  • On June 27, 1970, he took over as Union Minister for Food and Agriculture. After the elections to the Lok Sabha in 1971, he was re-assigned the same portfolio.
  • Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was widely travelled throughout the world. In 1955, he led the Indian Lawyers delegation to the USSR and in 1957, he represented India at the United Nations. In 1964, he paid a visit to the United States and spent about 5 weeks visiting different parts of that country. As a representative of the Government of India, he visited Malaysia in 1963 to participate in the celebrations of their Independence Day and the inauguration of the International Mosque at Kuala Lumpur. In 1970, he visited Australia to attend the Conference of the Food and Agriculture Organisation. He also led the Indian delegation to the Council’s Session of FAO in Rome in 1971 and 1973.
  • During the large scale influx of refugees from Bangladesh and the subsequent Indo-Pakistan conflict, Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed visited Lebanon, Iraq and Egypt to explain India’s stand and the problems faced by this country in the wake of these developments.
  • Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was a keen sportsman. He had been the President of the Assam Football Association and Assam Cricket Association for many years and Vice-Chairman of the Assam Sports Council. He was also the President of the All India Lawn Tennis Association. He was connected with many social institutions as well.
  • In August, 1974, he was elected the President of India. In his own words, he assumed this high office in a spirit of prayerful humility and total dedication. He described himself as a humble worker who had done his bit first in the liberation struggle of our country and after independence in the consolidation of the freedom that we won. During the 2½ years he was the Head of the State, his wise guidance and catholic outlook proved to be of immense value to the nation during periods of stress and strain. His vision and adherence to principles, his grace and dignity, his aesthetic sensibility, his understanding and compassion, added a new lustre to the high office he held and earned for him the affection and admiration of all sections of the people.
  • As President of India, Shri Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed undertook an extensive programme of goodwill visits to friendly countries in various parts of the world. Beginning with a State visit to Indonesia after assuming office, he went on similar missions to Hungary, Yugoslavia, Egypt and Sudan in 1975. In the same year he also attended the funeral of the late King Feisal of Saudi Arabia. In 1976, he travelled to Iran and the UAE and, just a few days ago, had embarked on a tour of Malaysia, Philippines and Burma. While in Kuala Lumpur he had to cut short the rest of his tour due to ill health which, with his characteristic courage and devotion to duty, he did most reluctantly. All his travels abroad were inspired by a deep interest in forging greater understanding and closer ties with the outside world. His nobility and simplicity endeared him to the leaders and the peoples of the countries with whom he came in contact and made a significant contribution to the promotion of India’s friendship and cooperation with them.
  • Death has taken away a distinguished son of India, a great patriot, an elder statesman and a shining symbol of the composite culture of our country. The country has lost a person of great moral calibre and administrative ability known alike for his deep love for the country and abiding affection for his people.
  • K. BALACHANDRAN
    Secretary to the President 

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