A. K. Antony
Encyclopedia
Arackaparambil Kurien Antony (born on December 28, 1940) is an Indian National Congress
politician, a former Chief Minister of Kerala, and the current Defence Minister
of India
.
He is a member of the Central Election Committee
and the Congress Working Committee
(CWC) and the chairman of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the All India Congress Committee
. He is currently a senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Accommodation, Economic Affairs, Political Affairs, and Security. He also presently serves as President of Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
.
, near Alleppey in Travancore
, as the son of Arackaparambil Kurien Pillai and Elikutty. He lost his father in 1959 and self-financed part of his education through odd jobs.
He completed his primary education in Holy Family Boys High school (Lower primary) and Government Boys High school (Upper primary), Cherthala (both are mixed higher secondary schools now and the latter has changed its name to Sree Narayana Memorial Government Higher Secondary school) and completed his B. A.
from Maharajas College
and B. L. from Mahatma Gandhi University
.
, K. Karunakaran resigned and Antony was made the 8th Chief Minister of Kerala
. Antony thus became the youngest Chief Minister of the state at the age of 37 serving from years April 27, 1977 to October 27, 1978.
Again, when K. Karunakaran resigned in connection with the ISRO case Antony was made the 16th Chief Minister of Kerala serving from years March 22, 1995 to May 9, 1996. He was the Leader of Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly
during 1996 to 2001.
Antony was elected the 18th Chief Minister of Kerala and served the third term from May 17, 2001 to August 29, 2004. He failed to retain power on the first two occasions as Chief minister. In 2004, immediately after the Congress in Kerala suffered a total rout in the Lok Sabha elections amid factional politics and in-fighting within the Congress Party
, Antony resigned as the Chief Minister of Kerala. He was succeeded by Oommen Chandy
.
(KSU) under the guidance of M. A. John. He has been an active leader of many strikes like Oru Ana Samaram (Single Penny Strike). He served as the president of Kerala Students Union
, Indian Youth Congress
and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee
(KPCC) before becoming an All India Congress Committee
(AICC) General Secretary in 1984. When he became KPCC president in 1972 he was the youngest person to hold that post. He was elected again as KPCC president in 1987, and was defeated by Vayalar Ravi
in the KPCC presidential elections in 1991. He was elected several times to the Congress Working Committee
(CWC), of which he's currently a member. He is in charge of Karnataka and Maharashtra state affairs of the Congress Party. Antony was also made Core Committee member and inducted into all main party boards and committees in 2005. He has been appointed as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the All India Congress Committee
.
Congress (A)
was a political party founded by Antony when he split from the Indian National Congress (Urs)
a splinter group of the Indian National Congress
(and opposed Indira Gandhi
in inner party politics during the time when she was prosecuted by the Morarji Desai
government, splitting off from the parent party with Devraj Urs.) The party was primarily active in Kerala
and joined the LDF ministry headed by E. K. Nayanar
during 1980-1982. After the fall of the Nayanar ministry, this party merged with the Congress in 1982, but Antony was not given any office until the death of Indira Gandhi. The members of the party have continued as a faction in the local congress afterwards.
between 1985 and 1995 and was the Minister for Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution for a year in 1994 during the tenure of Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao
. He resigned on moral grounds as food minister in 1994 when his ministry was involved in a sugar import scandal, despite there being no allegations against him.
and was inducted into the Union Council of Ministers as Defence Minister
following Natwar Singh's expulsion from the Congress and Pranab Mukherjee
's transfer to the Ministry of External Affairs. After the Congress again won the elections in 2009 and formed the government once again under Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh
, Antony retained the portfolio of Defence for the second term.
toned down the action against one his key aides, Lieutenant-General Avadesh Prakash who is one of the seniormost officers of the Army, against the recommendations of the Eastern Army Commander who had ordered the probe.
After an outcry over the perceived “letting off” of a senior officer in the case, who incidentally retired. Antony intervened and directed the Army Chief to order a court martial to bring out the facts of the case.
in Mumbai, A K Antony recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation
probe to fix responsibility of the armed forces and defence estates officers. He also stated that under his supervision as defence minister of India, his ministry will not cover up the Adarsh Housing Society scam, but initiate "strict" action against those guilty though top armed forces officers, bureaucrats and politicians were allegedly involved in it.
A. K. Antony was born into a Syrian Catholic family. He is an atheist
and has always assumed office by affirmation
rather than by a religious oath. However, he is a devotee of Mata Amritanandamayi
and claims to have seen stars when she hugged him.
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Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
politician, a former Chief Minister of Kerala, and the current Defence Minister
Defence Minister of India
The Ministry of Defence is India's federal department allocated the largest level of budgetary resources and charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Indian armed forces.The Indian Armed Forces ; the...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
He is a member of the Central Election Committee
Central Election Committee
The Central Election Committee is the powerful committee of the AICC entrusted with the final selection of candidates for the various state and national elections across India...
and the Congress Working Committee
Congress Working Committee
Congress Working Committee is the executive committee of the Congress Party in India, it typically consisting of fifteen members elected from the All India Congress Committee or AICC, and is headed by the Working President....
(CWC) and the chairman of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the All India Congress Committee
All India Congress Committee
The All India Congress Committee is the Presidium or central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress Party. It is composed of members elected from State-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousand members...
. He is currently a senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Accommodation, Economic Affairs, Political Affairs, and Security. He also presently serves as President of Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses
Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses , New Delhi is India's premier think tank for advanced research in international relations, especially strategic and security issues, and also trains civilian and military officers of the Government of India. Established in 1965, IDSA is funded by but...
.
Early life
A. K. Antony was born at CherthalaCherthala
Cherthala is a town located in the district of Alappuzha, in the state of Kerala, India. It is located 30 km south of the city of Kochi and 22 km north of Alappuzha town, on the Kochi-Alappuzha streatch of both the National Highway 47 as well as the costal Rail-route.lt is 85 km from the...
, near Alleppey in Travancore
Travancore
Kingdom of Travancore was a former Hindu feudal kingdom and Indian Princely State with its capital at Padmanabhapuram or Trivandrum ruled by the Travancore Royal Family. The Kingdom of Travancore comprised most of modern day southern Kerala, Kanyakumari district, and the southernmost parts of...
, as the son of Arackaparambil Kurien Pillai and Elikutty. He lost his father in 1959 and self-financed part of his education through odd jobs.
He completed his primary education in Holy Family Boys High school (Lower primary) and Government Boys High school (Upper primary), Cherthala (both are mixed higher secondary schools now and the latter has changed its name to Sree Narayana Memorial Government Higher Secondary school) and completed his B. A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from Maharajas College
Maharajas College
The Maharaja's College is one of the biggest centres of learning and higher education in Kerala, India. Located in the heart of Cochin city, it is spread over a campus of on the banks of Vembanad Lake...
and B. L. from Mahatma Gandhi University
Mahatma Gandhi University
Mahatma Gandhi University, also known as M G University, was established on 2 October 1983 in Kottayam. The University Grants Commission of India does not believe that the names of Indian universities should be unique, so another UGC-recognized government-run Mahatma Gandhi University was...
.
Chief Minister of Kerala
On accusations in the Rajan caseRajan case
The Rajan case refers to the death of P. Rajan, a student of the erstwhile Regional Engineering College, Calicut, due to torture in police custody in Kerala, during the nationwide Emergency in India in 1976, and the legal battle that followed, which brought out the facts of the incident.-...
, K. Karunakaran resigned and Antony was made the 8th Chief Minister of Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
. Antony thus became the youngest Chief Minister of the state at the age of 37 serving from years April 27, 1977 to October 27, 1978.
Again, when K. Karunakaran resigned in connection with the ISRO case Antony was made the 16th Chief Minister of Kerala serving from years March 22, 1995 to May 9, 1996. He was the Leader of Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly
Kerala Legislative Assembly
The Kerala Legislative Assembly more popularly known as Niyamasabha , is the law making body of Kerala, one of the 28 States in India. The Assembly is formed by 140 elected representatives and one nominated member from the Anglo-Indian community...
during 1996 to 2001.
Antony was elected the 18th Chief Minister of Kerala and served the third term from May 17, 2001 to August 29, 2004. He failed to retain power on the first two occasions as Chief minister. In 2004, immediately after the Congress in Kerala suffered a total rout in the Lok Sabha elections amid factional politics and in-fighting within the Congress Party
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
, Antony resigned as the Chief Minister of Kerala. He was succeeded by Oommen Chandy
Oommen Chandy
Oommen Chandy is an Indian politician and the current Chief Minister of Kerala. He has held the Chief Minister of Kerala position earlier from 2004 to 2006, and was the Leader of the Opposition in the Kerala Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2011.-Early life:Oommen Chandy or 'Kunjoonju' was born...
.
Congress politics and party faction
A. K. Antony entered into politics as a student leader in Cherthala Taluk (Alleppey District) as an activist of Kerala Students UnionKerala Students Union
Kerala Students Union is the Kerala branch of the National Students Union of India, the student wing of the Indian National Congress. KSU was founded on May 30, 1957 in Alappuzha.-About KSU:...
(KSU) under the guidance of M. A. John. He has been an active leader of many strikes like Oru Ana Samaram (Single Penny Strike). He served as the president of Kerala Students Union
Kerala Students Union
Kerala Students Union is the Kerala branch of the National Students Union of India, the student wing of the Indian National Congress. KSU was founded on May 30, 1957 in Alappuzha.-About KSU:...
, Indian Youth Congress
Indian Youth Congress
The Indian Youth Congress is the youth wing of the Indian National Congress party. As of 2006, the Indian Youth Congress has over 245,00,000 members across India, the largest democratic youth organisation in the world....
and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee
Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee is the unit of the Indian National Congress - the world's largest political organization -working in the state of Kerala. Its head office is situated at Trivandrum ....
(KPCC) before becoming an All India Congress Committee
All India Congress Committee
The All India Congress Committee is the Presidium or central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress Party. It is composed of members elected from State-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousand members...
(AICC) General Secretary in 1984. When he became KPCC president in 1972 he was the youngest person to hold that post. He was elected again as KPCC president in 1987, and was defeated by Vayalar Ravi
Vayalar Ravi
Vayalar Ravi is a prominent Indian politician, currently the Union Cabinet Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs and Minister of Civil Aviation. He is a member of the Rajya Sabha.-Political Life:...
in the KPCC presidential elections in 1991. He was elected several times to the Congress Working Committee
Congress Working Committee
Congress Working Committee is the executive committee of the Congress Party in India, it typically consisting of fifteen members elected from the All India Congress Committee or AICC, and is headed by the Working President....
(CWC), of which he's currently a member. He is in charge of Karnataka and Maharashtra state affairs of the Congress Party. Antony was also made Core Committee member and inducted into all main party boards and committees in 2005. He has been appointed as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the All India Congress Committee
All India Congress Committee
The All India Congress Committee is the Presidium or central decision-making assembly of the Indian National Congress Party. It is composed of members elected from State-level Pradesh Congress Committees and can have as many as a thousand members...
.
Congress (A)
Congress (A)
Congress was a political party founded by A. K. Antony when he split from the Indian National Congress a splinter group of the Indian National Congress. The party was primarily active in Kerala. The party merged with the Congress in 1982....
was a political party founded by Antony when he split from the Indian National Congress (Urs)
Indian National Congress (Urs)
The Indian National Congress was a breakaway faction of the Congress led by D. Devraj Urs. It broke away from the parent party in 1978 following Indira Gandhi's drubbing in the 1977 General Elections. Urs took with him many legislators from Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa including future...
a splinter group of the Indian National Congress
Indian National Congress
The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...
(and opposed Indira Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhara was an Indian politician who served as the third Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms and a fourth term . She was assassinated by Sikh extremists...
in inner party politics during the time when she was prosecuted by the Morarji Desai
Morarji Desai
Morarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and the fourth Prime Minister of India from 1977–79. He was the first Indian Prime Minister who did not belong to the Indian National Congress...
government, splitting off from the parent party with Devraj Urs.) The party was primarily active in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
and joined the LDF ministry headed by E. K. Nayanar
E. K. Nayanar
Erambala Krishnan Nayanar was a prominent Indian political leader of the Communist Party of India . He held the post of Chief Minister of Kerala three times; during 1980-81, 1987–91 and 1996-2001. He is the longest serving Chief Minister of Kerala, having been in office for a total of 4009 days,...
during 1980-1982. After the fall of the Nayanar ministry, this party merged with the Congress in 1982, but Antony was not given any office until the death of Indira Gandhi. The members of the party have continued as a faction in the local congress afterwards.
Union Minister for Civil Supplies
He was a Member of Parliament in the Rajya SabhaRajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
between 1985 and 1995 and was the Minister for Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution for a year in 1994 during the tenure of Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao
P. V. Narasimha Rao
Pamulaparti Venkata "Narasimha Rao" was the ninth Prime Minister of India . He led an important administration, overseeing a major economic transformation and several home incidents affecting national security of India. Rao accelerated the dismantling of the Licence Raj. He is often referred to as...
. He resigned on moral grounds as food minister in 1994 when his ministry was involved in a sugar import scandal, despite there being no allegations against him.
Union Minister for Defence
In 2005, A. K. Antony entered the Rajya SabhaRajya Sabha
The Rajya Sabha or Council of States is the upper house of the Parliament of India. Rajya means "state," and Sabha means "assembly hall" in Sanskrit. Membership is limited to 250 members, 12 of whom are chosen by the President of India for their expertise in specific fields of art, literature,...
and was inducted into the Union Council of Ministers as Defence Minister
Defence Minister of India
The Ministry of Defence is India's federal department allocated the largest level of budgetary resources and charged with coordinating and supervising all agencies and functions of the government relating directly to national security and the Indian armed forces.The Indian Armed Forces ; the...
following Natwar Singh's expulsion from the Congress and Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab Mukherjee
Pranab Kumar Mukherjee is the current Finance Minister of India and leader of the current Lok Sabha.Mukherjee is a senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Economic Affairs, Infrastructure, Parliamentary Affairs, Political Affairs, Prices, Security, Unique Identification Authority of India,...
's transfer to the Ministry of External Affairs. After the Congress again won the elections in 2009 and formed the government once again under Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh
Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...
, Antony retained the portfolio of Defence for the second term.
Against corruption in Armed Forces
In Sukna land scandal, then Army Chief General Deepak KapoorDeepak Kapoor
General Deepak Kapoor PVSM, AVSM, SM, VSM, ADC was the 25th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, appointed on 30 September 2007 and Chairman, Chiefs of Staffs Committee appointed on 31 August 2009....
toned down the action against one his key aides, Lieutenant-General Avadesh Prakash who is one of the seniormost officers of the Army, against the recommendations of the Eastern Army Commander who had ordered the probe.
After an outcry over the perceived “letting off” of a senior officer in the case, who incidentally retired. Antony intervened and directed the Army Chief to order a court martial to bring out the facts of the case.
Probing Adarsh scam
After Adarsh Housing Society ScamAdarsh Housing Society Scam
The Adarsh Housing Society is a cooperative society in the city of Mumbai in India. It was reserved for the war widows and veterans of the Kargil War.-Corruption allegations:...
in Mumbai, A K Antony recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation
Central Bureau of Investigation
The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...
probe to fix responsibility of the armed forces and defence estates officers. He also stated that under his supervision as defence minister of India, his ministry will not cover up the Adarsh Housing Society scam, but initiate "strict" action against those guilty though top armed forces officers, bureaucrats and politicians were allegedly involved in it.
Personal life and beliefs
He is married to Elizabeth Antony, a Syrian Orthodox, and they have two sons named Anil Kurien Antony and Ajith Paul Antony.A. K. Antony was born into a Syrian Catholic family. He is an atheist
Atheism
Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities...
and has always assumed office by affirmation
Affirmation in law
In law, an affirmation is a solemn declaration allowed to those who conscientiously object to taking an oath. An affirmation has exactly the same legal effect as an oath, but is usually taken to avoid the religious implications of an oath...
rather than by a religious oath. However, he is a devotee of Mata Amritanandamayi
Mata Amritanandamayi
Mātā Amṛtānandamayī Devī , primarily known simply as Amma ["Mother"], is a Hindu spiritual leader and guru, who is revered as a saint by her followers. She is widely respected for her humanitarian activities...
and claims to have seen stars when she hugged him.
External links
- AK Antony Official bio-data at india.gov.in
- India is going through transparency revolution: Antony
- Stop giving bribes, take pledge against corruption: Antony
- India for self sufficiency advanced rocket propellants: Antony
- US friendship faces 'Saint Antony' test
- AK Antony - The Gandhians amidst us
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