Siddhartha Shankar Ray
Encyclopedia
Siddhartha Shankar Ray (20 October 1920 – 6 November 2010) was an Indian politician belonging to the Indian National Congress
. He was a prominent barrister, Punjab Governor and Education minister of India. He was also the ambassador of India to the United States of America and served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1972 to 1977.
and Basanti Devi. Ray was married to Smt. Maya Ray, who grew up in England, and is an eminent Barrister of the Calcutta High Court. She was once referred to as "a noted barrister and former elected official" by the late Thomas J. Manton
, a member of the United States House of Representatives
. Ray's sister is Justice
Manjula Bose, one of the first two women judges of the Calcutta High Court.
Ray studied at St. Xavier's Collegiate School
, Calcutta, Mitra Institution, Bhowanipore Branch, Calcutta, Presidency College, Calcutta and University Law College,London. In college and university, he was active in both sports and politics. In 1941, he was elected as student Under-Secretary in the Calcutta University Institute Elections and was put in charge from time to time of various departments including Student's Aid Fund, Debates, Sports and Socials. He was also the Debate Secretary and later the General Secretary of the Calcutta University Law College Union. As a sportsman he captained the Presidency College cricket team. He was the captain of the team that won the Inter Collegiate cricket Championship in 1944. He had scored three double centuries and 1000 runs for three consecutive seasons. He was also a keen footballer in Calcutta playing for the Kalighat Club. He was a University Blue in this sport and represented the Calcutta University in Inter-Varsity matches. In 1939, he was the Captain of the victorious Presidency College Football Team which won both the Elliot and Hardinge Birthday Shields.
Later, Ray was called to the Bar
by the Honourable Society of Inner Temple
, London
. While in London he played cricket for the Indian Gymkhana Club.
Ray died on 6 November 2010 at the age of 90. He is survived by his wife Maya.
After the Congress won the General Election of 1972, he became the Chief Minister of West Bengal from March 19, 1972 to June 21, 1977. He took office shortly after the Bangladesh Liberation War
, and his administration was faced with the massive problem of resettling over a million refugees in various parts of the state. The civic services of Calcutta
in particular found rehabilitation of the Bangladeshi refugees to be an uphill task, and failed in this aspect.
Later, he had the distinction of serving as the Governor of Punjab
from April 2, 1986 to December 8, 1989. When the Congress came back to power once again in Delhi in 1991, Ray was sent as India's Ambassador to the United States. He remained in the USA from 1992 to 1996. His tenure in Washington was widely considered to be very successful.
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...
. He was a prominent barrister, Punjab Governor and Education minister of India. He was also the ambassador of India to the United States of America and served as the Chief Minister of West Bengal from 1972 to 1977.
Biography
Ray's father, Sudhir Kumar Ray, was a well known barrister of Calcutta High Court and a member of the Indian National Congress and his mother Aparna Devi, was the elder daughter of the nationalist leader 'Deshbandhu' Chittaranjan DasChittaranjan Das
Chittaranjan Das was an eminent Bengali lawyer and a major figure in the Indian independence movement.-Personal life:...
and Basanti Devi. Ray was married to Smt. Maya Ray, who grew up in England, and is an eminent Barrister of the Calcutta High Court. She was once referred to as "a noted barrister and former elected official" by the late Thomas J. Manton
Thomas J. Manton
Thomas J. Manton was a Democratic congressman. He represented the 7th Congressional District of New York.-Life and career:...
, a member of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
. Ray's sister is Justice
Justice
Justice is a concept of moral rightness based on ethics, rationality, law, natural law, religion, or equity, along with the punishment of the breach of said ethics; justice is the act of being just and/or fair.-Concept of justice:...
Manjula Bose, one of the first two women judges of the Calcutta High Court.
Ray studied at St. Xavier's Collegiate School
St. Xavier's Collegiate School
St. Xavier's Collegiate School was established in 1860 in Kolkata, India by missionaries of the Society of Jesus. The school is named after St. Francis Xavier...
, Calcutta, Mitra Institution, Bhowanipore Branch, Calcutta, Presidency College, Calcutta and University Law College,London. In college and university, he was active in both sports and politics. In 1941, he was elected as student Under-Secretary in the Calcutta University Institute Elections and was put in charge from time to time of various departments including Student's Aid Fund, Debates, Sports and Socials. He was also the Debate Secretary and later the General Secretary of the Calcutta University Law College Union. As a sportsman he captained the Presidency College cricket team. He was the captain of the team that won the Inter Collegiate cricket Championship in 1944. He had scored three double centuries and 1000 runs for three consecutive seasons. He was also a keen footballer in Calcutta playing for the Kalighat Club. He was a University Blue in this sport and represented the Calcutta University in Inter-Varsity matches. In 1939, he was the Captain of the victorious Presidency College Football Team which won both the Elliot and Hardinge Birthday Shields.
Later, Ray was called to the Bar
Bar (law)
Bar in a legal context has three possible meanings: the division of a courtroom between its working and public areas; the process of qualifying to practice law; and the legal profession.-Courtroom division:...
by the Honourable Society of Inner Temple
Inner Temple
The Honourable Society of the Inner Temple, commonly known as Inner Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court in London. To be called to the Bar and practise as a barrister in England and Wales, an individual must belong to one of these Inns...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. While in London he played cricket for the Indian Gymkhana Club.
Ray died on 6 November 2010 at the age of 90. He is survived by his wife Maya.
Career
Upon his return from England, Ray joined the Calcutta Bar in 1947. In 1954 he became one of the three junior Central Government counsel in Calcutta. In 1957 he was elected to the Bhowanipore Assembly seat which he won by a large majority, becoming the youngest member of the West Bengal Cabinet under the leadership of Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy. He was appointed as Law and Tribal Welfare Minister in West Bengal. In 1962, he was re-elected to the state's Legislative Assembly as an Independent Candidate. In 1966, he became the Union Cabinet Minister of Education & Youth Services for the Government of India. He was also the Union Cabinet Minister of West Bengal Affairs of the Government of India.After the Congress won the General Election of 1972, he became the Chief Minister of West Bengal from March 19, 1972 to June 21, 1977. He took office shortly after the Bangladesh Liberation War
Bangladesh Liberation War
The Bangladesh Liberation War was an armed conflict pitting East Pakistan and India against West Pakistan. The war resulted in the secession of East Pakistan, which became the independent nation of Bangladesh....
, and his administration was faced with the massive problem of resettling over a million refugees in various parts of the state. The civic services of Calcutta
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...
in particular found rehabilitation of the Bangladeshi refugees to be an uphill task, and failed in this aspect.
Later, he had the distinction of serving as the Governor of Punjab
Governors of Punjab
This is a List of the Governors of Punjab state in India since its independence on 15 August 1947. Since 1985 the Governor of Punjab has acted as the Administrator of Chandigarh as well.-External links:* http://punjabgovt.nic.in/GOVERNMENT/MeetGovernor.htm...
from April 2, 1986 to December 8, 1989. When the Congress came back to power once again in Delhi in 1991, Ray was sent as India's Ambassador to the United States. He remained in the USA from 1992 to 1996. His tenure in Washington was widely considered to be very successful.
External links
- S.S. Ray - an administrator par excellence, Indo-Asian News ServiceIndo-Asian News ServiceIndo-Asian News Service or IANS is India's largest private news agency. The IANS is run by a group of professional journalists.The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service...
, 7 November 2010 - S.S. Ray accorded a state funeral, Indo-Asian News ServiceIndo-Asian News ServiceIndo-Asian News Service or IANS is India's largest private news agency. The IANS is run by a group of professional journalists.The IANS was founded by Indian American publisher Gopal Raju as the India Abroad News Service. It was later renamed the Indo-Asian News Service...
, 7 November 2010 - Ray, Bengal's last aristocrat politician, departs, The Times of IndiaThe Times of IndiaThe Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, 7 November 2010 - A leader of many hues, The Times of IndiaThe Times of IndiaThe Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, 7 November 2010 - Sukharanjan Sengupta, Misunderstood for role in Naxal period, The Times of IndiaThe Times of IndiaThe Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, 6 November 2010 - Legal eagle with excellent court etiquette, The Times of IndiaThe Times of IndiaThe Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, 7 November 2010 - Ray: The Left’s whipping boy till the end, The StatesmanThe StatesmanThe Statesman is an Indian English-language broadsheet daily newspaper founded in 1875 and published simultaneously in Kolkata, New Delhi, Siliguri and Bhubaneswar. The Statesman is owned by The Statesman Ltd., its headquarters at Statesman House, Chowringhee Square, Calcutta and its national...
, 6 November 2010 - Punjab's friendly troubleshooter, The TribuneThe TribuneThe Tribune is an Indian English-language daily newspaper published from Chandigarh, New Delhi, Jalandhar, Dehradun and Bathinda. It was founded on 2 February 1881, in Lahore , by Sardar Dyal Singh Majithia, a public-spirited philanthropist, and is run by a trust comprising five eminent persons as...
, 7 November 2010