| Ashoke Kumar Sen অশোককুমার সেন |
|
|---|---|
| Ashoke Sen at the United Nations | |
| Union Cabinet Minister for Law and Justice | |
| Union Cabinet Minister for Communications | |
| Union Cabinet Minister for Steel and Mines | |
| President, Supreme Court Bar Association of India | |
| President, Indian Football Association | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 10 October 1913 Faridpur, Bengal, British India |
| Died | 31 August 1996 (aged 82) New Delhi, India |
| Political party | Independent |
| Spouse(s) | Anjana Das |
| Children | 2 daughter 2 son |
| Alma mater | Presidency College, Kolkata London School of Economics |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Ashoke Kumar Sen (Bengali: অশোককুমার সেন) (10 October 1913 – 31 August 1996) was an Indian barrister, a former Cabinet minister of India, and an Indian parliamentarian.
He also holds the record for winning a Lok Sabha seat the most times and also the record for being not only an MP for the most years, but also a cabinet minister - serving more than 7 prime ministers. For decades he was the inevitable Union Law Minister.
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Ashoke Kumar Sen was born in 1913. His father was a district magistrate. His elder brother, Sukumar Sen ICS (b. 1899), who went on to become India, Sudan and Nepal's first Chief Election Commissioner,[1] funded his education in England, at the London school of Economics. Ashoke Sen went on to study for the Bar at Gray's Inn.
Upon his return, he started teaching law at the City College, Kolkata a constituent college of the University of Calcutta[2] He then began practicing in the Calcutta High Court. At the age of 26, he had already written a book about Commercial Law, which was endorsed by Mr. Sen's then senior Sudhi Ranjan Das, the future Chief Justice of India.
Some years later, in February 1943, Ashoke Kumar Sen married Anjana Das, his senior's only daughter. They had two sons and two daughters.[3]
Within five years of practice, Sen became regarded as one of the top lawyers in the Calcutta High Court and gained wide acclaim. He published many books and articles, and was the Editor of Calcutta Law Journal.[4]
Sen was a Senior Advocate of the Supreme Court, and President of the Supreme Court Bar Association several times.[5]
Because of his legal acumen, Bidhan Chandra Roy, Chief Minister of West Bengal, recommended him to the Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Nehru wanted Sen in his cabinet, and asked him to contest elections for the Lok Sabha.
In 1957, the Calcutta North West seat for the Lok Sabha was a communist stronghold. Sen has tried in 1956 to win the election, but fell short by only a few votes. However in the following year, he triumphed and won by over 100,000 votes. He retained that seat from 1957 to 1977, and again held the Calcutta North West seat from 1980 to 1989, being defeated in 1989 by Debi Prosad Pal.[6]
Sen was a Member of the Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth and Eighth Lok Sabhas.[7]
He was later made a Rajya Sabha member and remained in the Upper House until April 1996, a few months before his death.
Ashoke Sen became the Union Law Minister under Nehru. It is this post for which he became famous worldwide. He was Union Minister of Law, but he also held other portfolios such as Communications, Steel, and Mines.[8]
Over the next years, Sen was India's representative to foreign countries and the United Nations. According to Deve Gowda (1996), Sen led the Indian delegations to the United Nations Conference on Law, the United Nations Conference on Human Rights and several other conferences.
He was Law Minister lastly under Rajiv Gandhi and resigned in 1989 after his party's debacle in state elections in his home state West Bengal.[9]
During his lifetime, Sen started the Paschim Banga Seva Samiti - a charitable organisation. He also served as the president of the Indian Football Association. During his lifetime, Mr Sen also amassed a large law library with many rare collections. This library is considered to be among the largest private law libraries in the world.
There is a block in the Supreme Court named after him. A portrait of him also hangs there. Several documentary films have also been produced on Mr Asoke Sen
Ashoke Kumar Sen was survived by his widow, Anjana (whom he married in 1943), and by his four children. Sen is also survived by seven grandchildren, of which one is currently studying Economics at Trinity College, Cambridge
Besides his brother Sukumar Sen (Chief Election Commissioner, India), Ashoke Kumar Sen had another brother Amiya Kumar Sen, an associate of Rabindranath Tagore. Amiya, author of a book about the Tagore family newspaper, was formerly a lecturer at Calcutta University and Principal of the City College, Kolkata. Mr Sen is also uncle to Nobel Laureate Amartya Kumar Sen
Ramachandra Guha. *" The biggest gamble in history" The Hindu 27 January 2002, magazine section. Later reprinted as "Democracys biggest gamble: Indias first free elections in 1952. (Reconsiderations)." (partly available online) World Policy Journal 22 March 2002.