Ashford Sastri Sinanan (; 2 January 1923 – 1994) was a politician from

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

who served in various roles prior to and following Trinidad and Tobago’s independence in 1962. Along with his brother, Mitra, Sinanan helped draft portions of Trinidad’s constitution and later went on to serve as the country’s first High Commissioner to

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

. High office, however, ultimately eluded him: first, in his 1958 bid to become the first

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

of the

Federation of the West Indies 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-governi ...

, a contest that he narrowly lost by 2 seats to

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate) ...

’ Sir Grantley Adams; and second, in 1974, when he resigned from his post as High Commissioner to India to found the

West Indian National Party The West Indian National Party was a political party in Trinidad and Tobago. It was originally founded on 18 November 1942 as a progressive party, aligned with the socialist views of trade unionists Quintin O'Connor and Rupert Gittens of Trade Unio ...

(WINP). The WINP ultimately failed to break the 20-year rule of then Prime Minister,

Eric Williams Eric Eustace Williams (25 September 1911 – 29 March 1981) was a Trinidad and Tobago politician who is regarded by some as the " Father of the Nation", having led the then British Colony of Trinidad and Tobago to majority rule on 28 October ...

. Notable career highlights: * Elected to Legislative Council, Victoria Constituency (1950) * Member of Parliament, San Fernando * Founder, Democratic Labour Party and Opposition Leader (1951–1956) * Acting Speaker of the House, Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago (1955–1956) * Chairman, Constitution Reform Committee (1955) * Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Trinidad and Tobago to the Office of the U.N. and Specialized Agencies in Geneva (1973) * High Commissioner to India (1974)

Awards

* Chaconia Gold Medal awarded for Public Service (1990)

References

* Hoyes, F. A. ''The Rise of West Indian Democracy: The Life and Times of Sir Grantley Adams''. Advocate Press (1963). * Grey, Ian, ''The Parliamentarians: The History of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, 1911–1985,'' The University of Michigan, Gower, 1986. * Mahabir, Winston, ''In and Out of Politics: Tales of the government of Dr. Eric Williams, from the Notebooks of a Former Minister,'' The University of Virginia Press, 1978. * Sinanan, Mitra, ''Constitution Commission of Trinidad and Tobago,'' 1974. * Palmer, Colin, ''Eric Williams and the Making of the Modern Caribbean,'' 1974. * "Head of New Party Says He Will Be Prime Minister", ''The Virgin Islands Daily News'', 28 May 1974. {{DEFAULTSORT:Sinanan, Ashford Members of the Legislative Council of Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioners of Trinidad and Tobago to India Democratic Labour Party (Trinidad and Tobago) politicians Trinidad and Tobago Presbyterians Permanent Representatives of Trinidad and Tobago to the United Nations 1994 deaths 1923 births People from San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago Members of the Federal Parliament of the West Indies Federation Members of the House of Representatives (Trinidad and Tobago) 20th-century Trinidad and Tobago politicians

Awards

See also

References