Henry Austin (20 October 1920 – 15 May 2008) was an Indian
politician
A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...
,
diplomat
A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...
, and former state and
federal government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
minister. He was also a veteran leader in the
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party but often simply the Congress, is a political party in India with widespread roots. Founded in 1885, it was the first modern nationalist movement to emerge in the British Em ...
, which is also known simply as the
Congress Party.
Austin was born on 20 October 1920.
[ He attended school in ]Kollam
Kollam (), also known by its former name Quilon , is an ancient seaport and city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is north of the state capital Thiruvananthapuram. The city i ...
before enrolling in St. Aloysius' College, a Jesuit
, image = Ihs-logo.svg
, image_size = 175px
, caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits
, abbreviation = SJ
, nickname = Jesuits
, formation =
, founders ...
college in Mangalore
Mangalore (), officially known as Mangaluru, is a major port city of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats about west of Bangalore, the state capital, 20 km north of Karnataka–Ker ...
, Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Karnat ...
.[ He received his degree at the Arts College in ]Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
, Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...
, before studying law at the Law College, which is also located in Thiruvananthapuram.[
Henry Austin did his doctorate in International Relations from the Washington University. Although he was offered a position at the United Nations he declined the offer and returned to India to pursue a career in Politics.
Austin served as KPCC General Secretary and then went on to become one among the only two general secretaries of the ]All India Congress Committee
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) is the presidium or the central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress. It is composed of members elected from state-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousan ...
in 1971 under Indira Gandhi. The other General Secretary was Sankar Dayal Sharma who later went on to become the President of India.[ He also traveled abroad as an Indian representative to lobby for support of India's position during the ]Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War ( bn, মুক্তিযুদ্ধ, , also known as the Bangladesh War of Independence, or simply the Liberation War in Bangladesh) was a revolution and War, armed conflict sparked by the rise of the Benga ...
.[ (India supported ]Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
's secession
Secession is the withdrawal of a group from a larger entity, especially a political entity, but also from any organization, union or military alliance. Some of the most famous and significant secessions have been: the former Soviet republics le ...
from Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
). He earned the sobriquet "Giant Killer" in the 1965 assembly election after he defeated stalwart leader T.K. Divakaran at the hustings from Kollam assembly constituency. He was unable to swear in as an MLA since no government could be formed in 1965 as no party had a majority.
He won his first election to the Parliament of India
The Parliament of India (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ) is the supreme legislative body of the Republic of India. It is a bicameralism, bicameral legislature composed of the president of India and two houses: the R ...
from the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency
Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency is one of the 20 Lok Sabha (parliamentary) constituencies in Kerala state in southern india.
It comprises 7 legislative assembly constituencies. The constituency is dominated by Latin Catholics who constitutes ...
in 1971 defeating V. Viswanatha Menon and was re-elected again in 1977[ defeating K.N. Ravindranath. However, he failed in his re-election bid in 1980 due to a dispute which split the Congress Party, to challenger, Xavier Arackal, a Congress Party member who was a supporter of ]Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
.[
Austin also became a minister in the government of former ]Prime Minister of India
The prime minister of India (IAST: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and their chosen Council of Ministers, despite the president of India being the nominal head of the ...
Charan Singh
Chaudhary Charan Singh (23 December 1902 – 29 May 1987) served as the 5th Prime Minister of India between 28 July 1979 to 14 January 1980. Historians and people alike frequently refer to him as the 'champion of India's peasants.'
Charan S ...
.[ He was in charge of civil and food supplies, a position which was the equivalent of the rank of state minister.][ Austin was named as India's ]ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
to Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
in 1985[ by PM Rajiv Gandhi. He also served as member of Kerala State Minority Commission. As MP of Ernakulam he was instrumental in establishing the Cochin shipyard in 1972 at Ernakulam, the shipyard is a major employer which employs thousands. He was also the prime mover to get the Ernakulam Bypass sanctioned and in developing the South and North railway stations. He had famously mooted the Super tanker Berth off the Kochi coast although it was years later when a bunkering terminal was established as part of Vallarpadam container terminal. Austin was visiting his daughter in ]Thiruvananthapuram
Thiruvananthapuram (; ), also known by its former name Trivandrum (), is the capital of the Indian state of Kerala. It is the most populous city in Kerala with a population of 957,730 as of 2011. The encompassing urban agglomeration populati ...
when he began complaining of uneasiness. He died on his way to the hospital on 15 May 2008, at the age of 88. He was buried at the Infant Jesus
The Christ Child, also known as Divine Infant, Baby Jesus, Infant Jesus, the Divine Child, Child Jesus, the Holy Child, Santo Niño, and to some as Señor Noemi refers to Jesus Christ from his nativity to age 12.
The four canonical gospels, a ...
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
Cemetery
A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite or graveyard is a place where the remains of dead people are buried or otherwise interred. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek , "sleeping place") implies that the land is specifically designated as a buri ...
in Kochi, India
Kochi (), also known as Cochin ( ) ( the official name until 1996) is a major port city on the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Ke ...
.
Henry Austin was married to Grace. The couple had eight children –3 sons and 5 daughters.
Dr. Henry Austin's political legacy is being carried forward by his grandson who is also named Henry Austin. He is currently the President of Indian National Congress, Ernakulam North Block Committee.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Austin, Henry
1920 births
2008 deaths
Ambassadors of India to Portugal
Indian civil servants
Indian National Congress politicians from Kerala
Politicians from Kollam
Indian Roman Catholics
India MPs 1971–1977
India MPs 1977–1979
Lok Sabha members from Kerala