Basirhat West Bengal MP

HUMAYUN KABIR, SHRI, M.A. (Cal.), M.A.,(Oxon), B.L., Bangla Cong., (West Bengal – Basirhat—1967):  s. of  late Khan Bahadur Kabirud Din Ahmed; b. at Faridpur, February 22, 1906; ed. at Presidency College and University Law College, Calcutta, and Exeter College Oxford; m. Shrimati Shanti, October, 1932 ; 1 s. and 1 d.; Journalist and author; Formerly Member of the Indian  National Congress since 1931 (with a break from 1948—56 while serving the Government of India.): resigned from the Congress in 1966 to join the Banglad Congress; Deputy Leader of the Krishak Praja Legislature Party, 1937—45; Joint Secretary, 1944-45 and President, 1945—47 of the Nikhil Bengal Krishak Praja Samity; President, Oxford Majlis, 1930; Secretary, Oxford Union Society, 1931; President,—(i) Jowett Society, Oxford, 1932, (ii) All India Muslim Students’ Conference, 1938, (iii) Faridpur District Relief Society, 1943, (iv) Federation of Port Trust Workers’ Union, Calcutta, 1944, (v) All India Students’ Congress, 1944, (vi) Bengal and Assam Railway Employees’ Association, 1944—48, (vii) Indian Philosophical Congress, 1954. (viii) First All India Writers’ Convention, 1956, (ix) Bengal Association, New Delhi, 1960, (x) First Asian History Congress, 1961, (xi) Tagore Centenary International Literary Conference, 1961, (xii) Indian Science Congress, 1964-65, (xiii) international Congress of Orientalists, 1964—67, and (xiv) Indian Council for Cultural Relations, 1958—64; Leader of the Indian Education Mission to the U.S.S.R., 1956; Marett Lecturer at the Oxford University, 1960; Tagore Lecturer at the London University, 1961; Member of the Presidium, First Asian Writers’ Conference, 1956; Co-Chairman of the East-West Philosophers’ Conference, Canberra (Australia), 1957; Editor, Presidency College Magazine, 1926, ‘Bharat, 1929 ‘Baromashi’, 1934, and ‘Chaturanga’, since 1938; Member,— (i) Bengal Legislative Council, 1937— 48, and (ii) Indian Railway Enquiry Committee, 1947-48; Educational Adviser and Secretary to the Government of India, 1948—56; Chairman, (i) University Grants Commission 1955-56, (ii) I.S.I. Review Committee, 1966; Herbert Spencer Lecture at Oxford University and Tagore Centennial Lecture at University of Wisconsin, Madison, U.S.A., 1967; Member. Rajya Sabha from 1956 to March, 1962 and Third Lok Sabha, 1962—67; Minister of Civil Aviation, 1957-58; Minister of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs, 1958—63; Minister of Petroleum and Chemicals, 1963—66.

Accomplishments in letters, art and science:  Poet, Philosopher and author; D. Litt (h.c.) from the Universities of Aligarh, Annamalai, Visva-Bharati, Mysore and Athens (Greece), D. Litt. of Music (h.c.) from Khairagarh University, Hony- Fellow of the Exeter College, Oxford, U.K.

Favourite pasttime and recration:  Sports, Walking, films, dramatics, art, reading and listening to music. <sports, walking=”” ,films=”” ,dramatics=”” ,art=”” ,=”” reading=”” and=”” listening=”” to=”” music.<=”” font=””></sports,>

Special interests:  Philosophy and literature. 

Sports: Tennis and badminton.

Travels abroad:  Widely travelled all over the world.

Books published:  (Bengali)—Swapnasadh, Sathee, Dharabahik, Marxbad and Banglar Kavya, etc., etc.; (English) On Kant’s Philosophy in general; Poetry, Monads and Society, Men and  Rivers; Science, Democracy and Islam; Education in New India; Of Cabbages and Kings; The Indian Heritage; Mahatma and other Poems; Britain and India; Indian Philosophy of Education, Lessons of Indian History; Mirza Abu Talib Khan; and Rabindranath Tagore.

Permanent address:  54, Ganesh Chandra Avenue, Calcutta-13.