Who is Vaikom Muhammed Basheer?
Vaikom Muhammad Basheer (21 January 1908 – 5 July 1994), also known as Beypore Sultan. He was an Indian independence activist and writer of Malayalam literature. He was awarded Padma Shri by the Government of India in 1982. All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position, or sex are eligible for the Padma Shri award, which was instituted in 1954.