Siddhartha Shankar Ray

2021-08-19T14:11:44Z

2409:4060:83:8787:0:0:209E:10A4:

{{Short description|Indian politician and Lawyer}}
{{Use Indian English|date=August 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Siddhartha Shankar Ray
| honorific-prefix = 
| image = SSROY.jpeg

| office = 18th [[Indian Ambassador to the United States]]
| term_start = 1992
| term_end = 1996
| primeminister = [[P. V. Narasimha Rao]]
| predecessor = [[Abid Hussain]]
| successor = [[Naresh Chandra]]

| office1 = 22nd [[List of Governors of Punjab (India)|Governor of Punjab]]
| term_start1 = 2 April 1986
| term_end1 = 8 December 1989
| 1blankname1 = Chief Minister
| 1namedata1 = [[Surjit Singh Barnala]]
| predecessor1 = [[Shankar Dayal Sharma]]
| successor1 = [[Nirmal Mukarji]]

| order2 = 6th
| office2 = Chief Minister of West Bengal
| term_start2 = 19 March 1972
| term_end2 = 21 June 1977
| governor2 = [[Anthony Lancelot Dias]]
| predecessor2 = [[President's rule]]
| successor2 = [[Jyoti Basu]]

| office3 = [[Ministry of Human Resource Development (India)|Minister of Education]]
| term_start3 = 1967
| term_end3 = 1972
| primeminister3 = [[Indira Gandhi]]
| predecessor3 = [[V.K.R.V. Rao]]
| successor3 = [[S. Nurul Hasan]]
|office6 =
|constituency6 = [[Bhabanipur (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Bhawanipur]]
|term_start6 = 1957
|term_end6 = 1967
|predecessor6 = [[Mira Dutta Gupta]]
|successor6 = ''constituency abolished''
|office5 = [[West Bengal Legislative Assembly|Member of West Bengal Legislative Assembly]]
|constituency5 = [[Chowranghee (Vidhan Sabha constituency)|Chowranghee]]
|term_start5 = 1967-1971
|term_end5 = 1991-1993
|predecessor5 = [[Debi Prasad Chattopadhyay]]
|successor5 = [[Anil Chatterjee]]
|office4 = [[Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha]]
|constituency4 = [[Raiganj (Lok Sabha constituency)|Raiganj]]
|term_start4 = 1971
|term_end4 = 1972
|predecessor4 = [[Chapala Kanta Bhattacharjee]]
|successor4 = [[Maya Ray]]
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1920|10|20|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Calcutta]], [[Bengal Presidency]], [[British India]]
| death_date = {{death date and age|2010|11|6|1920|10|20|df=y}}
| death_place = [[Kolkata]], [[West Bengal]], [[India]]
| party = [[Indian National Congress]]
| spouse = [[Maya Ray]]
| alma_mater = [[Presidency College, Calcutta]]<br>[[Inner Temple]] ([[Barrister-at-Law]])
| profession = [[Lawyer]], [[Diplomat]]
}}

'''Siddhartha Shankar Ray''' (20 October 1920 – 6 November 2010) was an Indian lawyer, diplomat and [[Indian National Congress]] politician from West Bengal. In his political career he held a number of offices, including [[Minister of Human Resource Development|Union Minister of Education]] (1971–72), [[Chief Minister of West Bengal]] (1972–77), [[List of Governors of Punjab (India)|Governor of Punjab]] (1986–89) and [[Indian Ambassador to the United States]] (1992–96). He was at one point the main troubleshooter for the Congress Party.<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/28/stories/2010032856151000.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100403030349/http://www.hindu.com/2010/03/28/stories/2010032856151000.htm |url-status= dead |archive-date= 3 April 2010 |title=National : S.S. Ray in hospital |access-date=30 March 2010|location=Chennai, India|work= [[The Hindu]] |date=28 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/books/1154/5/1 |title = Welcome to Sri Chinmoy Library |work = srichinmoylibrary.com |access-date = 30 March 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110716125130/http://www.srichinmoylibrary.com/books/1154/5/1 |archive-date = 16 July 2011 |df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url = http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20100327/1416/tnl-siddhartha-shankar-ray-ill.html |title = Siddhartha Shankar Ray ill – Yahoo! India News |work = in.news.yahoo.com |access-date = 30 March 2010 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100329034855/http://in.news.yahoo.com/20/20100327/1416/tnl-siddhartha-shankar-ray-ill.html |archive-date = 29 March 2010 |df = dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?200042 |title=A Wily Survivor |work=outlookindia.com |access-date=30 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url= http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?200571 |title=There Are More Anti-American Indians Than Anti-Indian Americans |work=outlookindia.com |access-date=30 March 2010}}</ref><ref name="wbpcc">{{cite news|url=http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/18/stories/2010011858291200.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121160554/http://www.hindu.com/2010/01/18/stories/2010011858291200.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 January 2010|title= Ray recalls his fights, friendship with a great human being|work=[[The Hindu]]|access-date=2010-03-29|location=Chennai, India|date=18 January 2010}}</ref>

==Biography==
Ray was born in a [[Vaidya (caste)|Vaidya]]<ref>{{Cite web|last=Dutta-Ray|first=Sunanda|author-link=Sunanda_K._Datta-Ray|date=2016-06-04|year=2016|title=WB Polls: Mamata's triumph, a victory of class over caste|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/analysis/wb-polls-mamatas-triumph-a-victory-of-class-over-caste-sunanda-k-datta-ray|url-status=live|access-date=2021-05-26|website=Free Press Journal|publisher=The Free Prees Journal|language=en|type=News Paper}}</ref> family. 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 barrister and nationalist leader [[Chittaranjan Das]] and [[Basanti Devi]] grew up in England. Ray's sister is [[Justice]] [[Manjula Bose]] (1930–2016) who was a senior judge of the [[Calcutta High Court]]; along with Padma Khastagir, she was one of the first female judges of the Calcutta High Court. Ray was also related to [[Sudhi Ranjan Das]], a former Chief Justice of India and [[Satish Ranjan Das]], a former Advocate General of Bengal and a Law Member of the [[Viceroy's Executive Council]].{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

Ray studied at, Mitra Institution, [[Bhowanipore]] Branch, Calcutta, [[Presidency College, Calcutta]] and University Law College, of the [[University of Calcutta]]. 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 Students' 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. He was also interested in lawn tennis and table tennis.{{citation needed|date=February 2018}}

Later Ray was called to the [[Bar (law)|bar]] by the Honourable Society of [[Inner Temple]], [[London]], in 1947.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Sengupta|first1=Ranjana|title=A man of many faces|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=P9oYG7HA76QC&dat=19880925&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|access-date=14 February 2018|work=The Indian Express|date=25 September 1988|page=24}}</ref> While in London he played cricket for the [[Indian Gymkhana Club]].

==Career==

Upon his return from England in 1946, Ray joined the Calcutta Bar as a junior of Justice Ramaprasad Mukherjee, who later became a Judge and Chief Justice (Acting) of the High Court of Calcutta. In 1954 he became one of the three junior Central Government counsels 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 Minister of Tribal Welfare and [[Law Department, 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]], and his administration was faced with the massive problem of resettling over a million refugees in various parts of the state. The crackdown on [[Naxalites]] also took place during this period.<ref name="Austin">{{Cite book | last = Austin | first = Granville | title = Working a Democratic Constitution - A History of the Indian Experience | publisher = Oxford University Press | year = 1999 | location = New Delhi | pages = 237
| isbn = 0-19-565610-5 }}</ref>

Later, he had the distinction of serving as the [[List of Governors of Punjab (India)|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 United States from 1992 to 1996. Prior to that, he was the Leader of Opposition in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly from 1991-1992.

=== Role in the emergency ===
Siddhartha Shankar Ray had a major role in the imposition of [[The Emergency (India)|The Emergency]] from 1975 to 1977. He proposed to the prime minister [[Indira Gandhi]] to impose an "internal emergency" and also drafted a letter for the President to issue the proclamation and showed her how democratic freedom could be suspended while remaining within the ambit of the Constitution.<ref>{{cite book|author=Lt. Gen J.F.R. Jacob|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=99BbBAAAQBAJ&q=%22minister+of+Tripura%2C+Sen+Gupta%2C+was+openly+encouraging+the+entry+of+Bangladeshis+into+Tripura+in+order+to+change+the+ethnic+balances%27&pg=PT120|title=An Odyssey in War and Peace|publisher=Roli Books Private Limited|year= 2012|isbn=9788174369338|location=262|pages=189}}</ref><ref name="The Hans India">{{cite news |last= Narayan|first= S|date=25 June 2020|title=[Explained] Why Did Indira Gandhi Impose Emergency In 1975?|url=https://www.thehansindia.com/hans/opinion/news-analysis/why-did-indira-gandhi-impose-emergency-in-1975-630015|newspaper=The Hans India}}</ref>

==Retirement==

During his retirement between 1996 and 2010, Ray returned to his law practice as a Barrister of the High Court of Calcutta.

Ray died of [[kidney failure]] on 6 November 2010 at the age of 90.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101110081633/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/former-wb-cm-siddhartha-shankar-ray-passes-away/134542-3.html?from=tn ]</ref>

== Legacy ==
A philanthropic society named "Siddhartha Shankar Ray Foundation" <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/SiddharthaShankarRayFoundation/|title=Siddhartha Shankar Ray Foundation|website=www.facebook.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-13}}</ref> was formed by Mr. Rajesh Chirimar in memory of Ray with the due consent of [[Maya Ray]]. The society engages in various social activities and will be celebrating the Birth Centenary Year of Shri Siddhartha Shankar Ray.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://164.100.47.194/loksabha/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/2219.htm Official Biographical Sketch in Lok Sabha Website]
* [http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=206345 S.S. Ray - an administrator par excellence], [[Indo-Asian News Service]], 7 November 2010
* [http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/politics/ss-ray-accorded-a-state-funeral_100456075.html S.S. Ray accorded a state funeral], [[Indo-Asian News Service]], 7 November 2010
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121103205412/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-11-07/kolkata/28222334_1_siddhartha-shankar-ray-chittaranjan-das-law-minister Ray, Bengal's last aristocrat politician, departs], ''[[The Times of India]]'', 7 November 2010
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121103205432/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-11-07/kolkata/28263239_1_siddhartha-shankar-ray-west-bengal-naxalite A leader of many hues], ''[[The Times of India]]'', 7 November 2010
* Sukharanjan Sengupta, [https://web.archive.org/web/20121103205426/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-11-07/kolkata/28256360_1_siddhartha-shankar-ray-s-s-ray-ray-s-beltala Misunderstood for role in Naxal period], ''[[The Times of India]]'', 6 November 2010
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20121103205439/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2010-11-07/kolkata/28254404_1_bar-library-court-barrister-ray Legal eagle with excellent court etiquette], ''[[The Times of India]]'', 7 November 2010
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110807060017/http://www.thestatesman.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=347651:ray-the-lefts-whipping-boy-till-the-end&catid=42:bengal&from_page=search Ray: The Left’s whipping boy till the end], ''[[The Statesman (India)|The Statesman]]'', 6 November 2010
* [http://www.tribuneindia.com/2010/20101108/main5.htm Punjab's friendly troubleshooter], ''[[The Tribune (Chandigarh)|The Tribune]]'', 7 November 2010

{{s-start}}
{{s-off}}
{{succession box |
before=[[V.K.R.V. Rao]]|
title=[[Ministry of Human Resource Development (India)|Education Minister, Government of India]]|
years=1967–1972|
after=[[S. Nurul Hasan]]|
}}
{{succession box |
before=[[Ajoy Kumar Mukherjee]]|
title=[[Chief Minister of West Bengal]]|
years=1972–1977|
after=[[Jyoti Basu]]
}}
{{succession box |
before=[[Shankar Dayal Sharma]]|
title=[[List of Governors of Punjab (India)|Governor of Punjab]]|
years=1986–1989|
after=[[Nirmal Kumar Mukarji]]|
}}
{{succession box |
before=[[Abid Hussain]]|
title=[[Indian Ambassador to the United States]]|
years=1992–1996|
after=[[Naresh Chandra]]|
}}
{{s-end}}

{{Chief Ministers of West Bengal}}
{{Das family}}
{{Indian Emergency}}
{{Presidents of CAB}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ray, Siddhartha Shankar}}
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:2010 deaths]]
[[Category:Bengali Hindus]]
[[Category:Politicians from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Alumni of the Inns of Court School of Law]]
[[Category:Presidency University, Kolkata alumni]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:Ambassadors of India to the United States]]
[[Category:Bengali politicians]]
[[Category:Chief Ministers of West Bengal]]
[[Category:Das family of Telirbagh]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure]]
[[Category:Governors of Punjab, India]]
[[Category:Indian barristers]]
[[Category:Members of the Cabinet of India]]
[[Category:Education Ministers of India]]
[[Category:Leaders of the Opposition in West Bengal]]
[[Category:People of the Emergency (India)]]
[[Category:Chief ministers from Indian National Congress]]
[[Category:Indian cricket administrators]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Cricket Association of Bengal]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian lawyers]]
[[Category:People from Kolkata]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress politicians from West Bengal]]
[[Category:5th Lok Sabha members]]
[[Category:Lok Sabha members from West Bengal]]
[[Category:People from Uttar Dinajpur district]]
[[Category:Indian National Congress (U) politicians]]

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Siddhartha Shankar Ray