Frank Anthony

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Frank Anthony (1908 – 1999) 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, three Frank Anthony Public Schools and two Frank Anthony Junior Schools in the cities of Bangalore, Kolkata and Delhi.