M. M. Jacob

M.M. Jacob photo

Mundakkal Mathew Jacob, popularly known as M. M. Jacob, is an Indian politician. He was born on August 9, 1928 at Ramapuram, present day Kottayam district, Travancore to Ulahanan Mathew and Rosamma Mundakkal.^[1] He married Achamma Kunnuthara from Tiruvalla, Kerala (since deceased) and has four daughters Jaya, Jessy, Elizabeth, and Rachel. He was appointed Governor of Meghalaya in 1995 and again in 2000 for a second term. He also discharged the function of the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh as well for some time in 1996.

Education

He had his education in the University College, Trivandrum, Sacred Heart College, Thevara,^[2] Cochin, Loyola College, Madras, and the Lucknow University. He is a graduate in Law and has a Masters Degree in Political Science. He holds a diploma in Income Tax Law as well. He did a course in social work in the University of Chicago, U.S.A.

As a student, he held key positions in the college and university student bodies. He is a good orator, both in Malayalam and English. He was also a good athlete participating in sports and games. He was a cadet of the Travancore University Labour Corps (later called the N.C.C) and the Indian Air Training Corps (I.A.T.C).

Freedom Movement

As a student, M.M. Jacob took an active part in the Indian independence movement. He participated in meetings and demonstrations for the freedom of India while in school and college. He was elected General Secretary of the College Union, Thevara (Madras University) and later held elected offices in student bodies in Madras and Lucknow Universities. As a member of the All India Students Federation (in school) and later in college at Trivandrum, in an Independent Student Organisation, he took part in various activities connected with the freedom struggle.

As a Lawyer

Jacob enrolled as a lawyer in the High Court of Kerala in 1952 and practised as a lawyer specialising in Taxation matters at Kottayam, Kerala.

Youth and Social Worker

Jacob was drawn to social and political movements in the early fifties. When Vinoba Bhave started to propagate Bhoodan movement in the country, to give land to the landless, Jacob joined the movement and organised Youth Leaders' training camps for spreading the message of Bhoodan in many parts of Kerala. He also served as the Joint Secretary of the Bhoodan Mobile Work Squad with Headquarters at Manganam Ashram, Kottayam. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan , the then Vice-President of India, came to Kottayam and blessed the 'Bhoodan Mobile Work Squad'.

Jacob was a delegate from the State to attend the All India Bhoodan Conference and Sarvodaya Sammelan organised at the initiative of Bhave at Bodh Gaya, Bihar in 1954 and blessed by the then president, Rajendra Prasad.

Bharat Sevak Samaj functionary

Jacob joined Bharat Sevak Samaj in 1954, which is a non-political voluntary organisation, with Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru as its President and Gulzarilal Nanda, Union Minister, as Chairman, commenced work to enlist public cooperation for India's Planned development. Jacob served as Camp Director to train voluntary workers for the B.S.S. at the first such camp held in Kerala in 1954. Thereafter, he moved to the National Capital Delhi and conducted Camp leaders' and Camp organisers' training programmes for almost two years. He also worked as Zonal Organiser for South India for "labour and social service camps for student and youth" - a scheme under the Union Ministry of Education. Later he took the assignment as Chairman, Bharat Sevak Samaj, Kerala State and Vice-Chairman, Central B.S.S New Delhi.

Jacob served as Training Supervisor and Liaison Officer for the Pilot Project - "Work and Orientation Centre" at Kalamasserry, Cochin to train unemployed educated youth in various trades and crafts - a scheme formulated by the Govt.of India, Ministry of Labour - in 1957.

He worked as full-time Social Worker and organised various programmes like Lok Karya Kshetras, Urban Social Welfare Projects, Slum Service Centres, night shelters, and Plan information centres at the instance of the Public Cooperation Division of the Planning Commission through B.S.S. He represented central B.S.S in the All India Panchayat Parishad-Conference held at Udaipur with the initiative of the then Union Minister, S. K. Dey, and attended by Local self-government, Ministers of various States, and national leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan.

UNESCO

On behalf of the youth section of UNESCO International Coordination Committee Work Camps and Bharat Sevak Samaj, International Work Camps for peace were held in several parts of India such as Bangalore and Bariapur (West Bengal). Jacob was one of the main leaders who organised and conducted these camps. On behalf of International Coordination Committee for work camps for peace UNESCO, Paris, Jacob served as Advisor to work camps for Rural Development in Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1960.

In India, Jacob toured various parts of the country organising and conducting labour and social service camps for students and youth, including many inter-state youth camps. Jacob served as organiser and Director of the Gandhi Centenary National Integration Inter University Camp at Trivandrum.

Honorary Visiting Lecturer

Jacob served as honorary visiting lecturer in Social Work at the Institute of Social Work in Thevara and later in Rajagiri. At the initial stages of the institutes, he also served as a member of the Governing Board. He used to visit many schools of social work and management education in the country and deliver lectures.

Fighting Corruption - Sadachar Samithi

Jacob served as Convener Sadachar Samithi for Kerala State, at the initiative of Gulzarilal Nanda, the then Union Home Minister (1964–67). Established branches of the Samithi in all the districts of Kerala during that period.

Cooperative Movement

Jacob played a leading role in the Cooperative Movement. He served as President of Kerala State Cooperative Rubber Marketing Federation (1975–1981). He also served as Director Kottayam District Cooperative Bank, Pala Rubber Marketing Cooperative Society and Director (later, Chairman) of Chitralekha Film Cooperative Society, Trivandrum for over a decade. Extensive Experience in Boards and Corporations.

He was Chairman Kerala State owned Plantation Corporation, Ltd (1974–78) and the first Chairman of "Oil Palm India Ltd"(1977–1978). He served as a member of the Governing Board of Hindustan Latex (1975–78) (Govt. of India), the Indian Coffee Board (1973–75) and the Indian Rubber Board under the Commerce Ministry, Govt. of India for many years. Worked as Chairman National Alliance of Young Entrepreneurs, Kerala Branch (1974–76). He also served as Director of Indian Overseas Bank (1977–82) Kerala State Red Cross etc. He was in the State Tourist Advisory Board, Small Scale Industries Board (SISIS - 1975) etc. at the State level before being elected to the Parliament. Active in Y.M.C.A movement and served as Chairman Board of Management Y.M.C.A Institute of Engineering Faridabad (1991–94).

Sino-Indian War of 1962 and Village Volunteer Force

Jacob served on the Kerala State Citizens' Defence Council and discharged duties as Convener at its student and youth committee constituted by the Govt. of Kerala. He organised several 'citizens' Defence Camps' with the active involvement of the State Government and local bodies to raise village volunteer forces (1962–66). Youth Welfare and allied Activities.

Jacob served as a Member of the Governing Board of Kerala University Students Welfare, and also served on the editorial Board of the University Youth Journal. He has organised and conducted a large number of student and youth camps on behalf of B.S.S in various parts of India (1955–1965).

Youth Hostel Association of India

AS the Secretary of Kerala Youth Hostel Association, Jacob organised 7th national conference of Youth Hostel Association of India in Trivandrum in (1964) - and initiated efforts to build up youth Hostels in Trivandrum and other places (1963–67).

As Office-bearer of Political Party

He worked in Indian National Congress in various capacities - as General Secretary and Treasurer of Kerala Pradesh, Chairman, Kerala State Seva Dal board, Convener ideological cell Congress Party in Kerala, and elected member of AICC for many years.

As Publisher/Editor etc.

He published 'Bharat Sevak' a social workers' journal and was the Chief editor of 'Congress Review', fortnightly published from Trivandrum and the Managing Director of Veekshanam - a Malayalam daily newspaper published from Cochin. He has published several papers and articles in journals and periodicals. Besides, he has compiled and published a few books. He has presented many papers in national and international seminars in India and abroad.

In the Parliament of India

Jacob was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1982 and again in 1988. He served as Chairman, Committee on Subordinate Legislation (1984–85) and as the Chairman of the Parliament Standing Committee for the Ministry of Home Affairs (1993–94). He was elected as Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha in 1986, and later served as a Union Minister of State in the Ministries of Parliamentary Affairs, Water Resources and Home Affairs at different period (1987–93).

Representing India in World Forums

As a youth leader, he participated in the VI World Youth Festival in Moscow (1957) and the International Conference of Work Camp Leaders organised by UNESCO (1956). He led India's youth delegation to North Vietnam (1957) and later the Indian youth delegation to China (1957) Youth delegate to Cleveland International Programme for youth leaders and social workers, USA (1963) and the International Conference of youth leaders from developing countries in Germany (BONN) in 1968. Delegate to International Seminar on 'Social Administration' in Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA (1976). Member of Indian Delegation to Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur) for the International conference of natural Rubber Producing Countries. (1975). He was the leader of the Indian Delegation to Sri Lanka for the 'International Conference of Natural Rubber Producing Countries' (1980).

Representing the Indian Parliament and the Commonwealth

As Deputy Chairman Rajya Sabha, Jacob attended the Commonwealth Parliament conference in London in 1986. He was also leader of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Zaire in Central Africa (1986), Leader of the Indian delegation to Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference in Budapest (1989) and a delegate at the Disarmament conference organised by Inter-Parliamentary Union and United Nations at Mexico (1985).

He attended the United Nations General Assembly, New York (1985 and again 1993) and the Human Rights Conference held at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France (1993). He was a delegate to Human Rights Conference in Vienna (Austria) organised by the U.N. (1994). He represented the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (C.P.A) in Accra (Ghana) at the seminar of Ghana Parliamentarians (1993) and was Commonwealth Observer to monitor the first non-radical, democratic, general election in South Africa (1994).

Current Activities

Jacob has a keen interest in the traditional forms of local democracy in tribal areas, particularly in Meghalaya, and has been advocating a marriage of modernity and tradition to strengthen grassroot democracy in tribal areas.