Fazal Ali

Who was Fazal Ali?

Sayyid Sir Fazl Ali, also known as Fazal Ali was governor of Assam and Odisha and a judge. He was knighted by the British government in 1941. He headed the Fazal Ali Commission that made recommendations about the reorganization of India's states . He was governor of Odisha from 1952 to 1956 and of Assam from 1956 to 1959. He died while serving as governor of Assam. He was also bestowed with the Padma Vibhushan by the Indian Government. Whilst in Assam, he was the first to bring the Nagas into societal mainstream. He opened a college in the Naga heartland Mokokochung, which is now known as 'Sir Fazal Ali College of Arts'. The College celebrated its 50 years' anniversary in 2010. He belonged to an aristocratic Zamindar family of Bihar.

His eldest son late Syed Murtaza Fazal Ali followed in his footsteps. He became judge at the age of only 35, of the J&K High Court, in 1958, and was elevated as the Chief Justice of the same court in 1966. He was elevated as a Judge of the Supreme Court of India in 1975. He died in 1985 while a sitting judge.