Frank Anthony
Encyclopedia
Frank Anthony was a prominent leader of the Anglo-Indian
community in India
, and was until his death their nominated representative in the Parliament of India
.
Frank Anthony was born in Jabalpur in 1908. In 1942, he was elected the President-in-chief of the Community of the All India Anglo-Indian Association. He opposed the partition of India
on the grounds that it would jeopardise the interests of the minority communities. When the future of India was being decided by British, Hindu and Muslim leaders, he presented the Anglo-Indian case to Mahatma Gandhi
, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
and Jawaharlal Nehru, and they agreed to make special provisions for the Anglo-Indians in the Indian Constitution
. In particular, the Lok Sabha
(Lower House) of the Indian parliament has two seats reserved for members of the Anglo-Indians community, the only reserved seats in this House.
After he had retired from practising as a lawyer, Prime Minister Nehru in 1952 asked him to go to Peshawar
to defend Mehr Chand Khanna, the ex-finance minister of the North-West Frontier Province
. In those days no Hindu lawyer would go to Peshawar. Following Frank Anthony's discussions with the chief minister, Khanna was released. In October 1946, he was one of India's delegates at the United Nations
. In 1948 and 1957, he represented India at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. In 1978, Anthony assisted the Nehru family when Indira Gandhi
was arrested.
Anthony's greatest contribution was in the field of Anglo-Indian Education. In 1947, he was elected Chairman of the Inter-State Board of Anglo-Indian Education. He was also the Founder-Chairman of the All India Anglo-Indian Educational Trust which, today, owns and administers five schools named after him, including The Frank Anthony Public School, New Delhi
and two Frank Anthony Junior Schools in the cities of Bangalore
, Kolkata
and Delhi
.
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
community in 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...
, and was until his death their nominated representative in the Parliament of India
Parliament of India
The Parliament of India is the supreme legislative body in India. Founded in 1919, the Parliament alone possesses legislative supremacy and thereby ultimate power over all political bodies in India. The Parliament of India comprises the President and the two Houses, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha...
.
Frank Anthony was born in Jabalpur in 1908. In 1942, he was elected the President-in-chief of the Community of the All India Anglo-Indian Association. He opposed the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
on the grounds that it would jeopardise the interests of the minority communities. When the future of India was being decided by British, Hindu and Muslim leaders, he presented the Anglo-Indian case to Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel was an Indian barrister and statesman, one of the leaders of the Indian National Congress and one of the founding fathers of India...
and Jawaharlal Nehru, and they agreed to make special provisions for the Anglo-Indians in the Indian Constitution
Constitution of India
The Constitution of India is the supreme law of India. It lays down the framework defining fundamental political principles, establishes the structure, procedures, powers, and duties of government institutions, and sets out fundamental rights, directive principles, and the duties of citizens...
. In particular, the Lok Sabha
Lok Sabha
The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...
(Lower House) of the Indian parliament has two seats reserved for members of the Anglo-Indians community, the only reserved seats in this House.
After he had retired from practising as a lawyer, Prime Minister Nehru in 1952 asked him to go to Peshawar
Peshawar
Peshawar is the capital of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and the administrative center and central economic hub for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan....
to defend Mehr Chand Khanna, the ex-finance minister of the North-West Frontier Province
North-West Frontier Province
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , formerly known as the North-West Frontier Province and various other names, is one of the four provinces of Pakistan, located in the north-west of the country...
. In those days no Hindu lawyer would go to Peshawar. Following Frank Anthony's discussions with the chief minister, Khanna was released. In October 1946, he was one of India's delegates at the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
. In 1948 and 1957, he represented India at the Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference. In 1978, Anthony assisted the Nehru family when 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...
was arrested.
Anthony's greatest contribution was in the field of Anglo-Indian Education. In 1947, he was elected Chairman of the Inter-State Board of Anglo-Indian Education. He was also the Founder-Chairman of the All India Anglo-Indian Educational Trust which, today, owns and administers five schools named after him, including The Frank Anthony Public School, New Delhi
The Frank Anthony Public School, New Delhi
The Frank Anthony Public School is a school in New Delhi, India.The school was founded in 1959 by Mr. Frank Anthony who was a member of the Indian constituent assembly and represented the Anglo-Indian committee. The four school buildings, designed by the German architect Mr...
and two Frank Anthony Junior Schools in the cities of Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
and Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
.