During his stint in England, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed met Jawaharlal Nehru in 1925. Nehru’s progressive ideas influenced him very much. At Nehru’s request, Ali Ahmed joined the Indian National Congress. He actively participated in the Indian freedom struggle.
He was a member of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee from 1936. He was later selected as a Minister of Finance, Revenue and Labour in Assam. In 1942, he supported the Quit India Movement, for which he was arrested in August.
After India gained independence, Fakhruddin was elected to Rajya Sabha in 1952. He eventually became the Advocate-General of the Government of Assam. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1967 and again in 1971. He handled various portfolios, including food and agriculture, cooperation, education, industrial development and company laws.
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was chosen by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as the President of India. He was sworn in on 24th August 1974. He was a multifaceted personality. His interest in sports was extremely popular.
Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed’s tenure in the office was cut short by his sudden death due to a heart attack which he suffered on his return from a tour of the South-East Asian countries only a day before. He died on 11th February, 1977.
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