Henry Austin (Indian politician)

Henry Austin (20 October 1920 – 15 May 2008) was an Indian politician, diplomat, and former state and federal government minister. He was also a veteran leader in the Indian National Congress, which is also known simply as the Congress Party.[1]

Austin was born on 20 October 1920.[1] He attended school in Kollam before enrolling in St. Aloysius' College, a Jesuit college in Mangalore, Karnataka.[1] He received his degree at the Arts College in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, before studying law at the Law College, which is also located in Thiruvananthapuram.[1]

Austin served as the general secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in 1971.[1] He also traveled abroad as an Indian representative to lobby for support of India's position during the Bangladesh Liberation War.[1] (India supported Bangladesh's secession from Pakistan).

He first won election to the Parliament of India from the Ernakulam Lok Sabha constituency in 1971 and was re-elected again in 1977.[1] However, he failed in his re-election bid in 1980 due to a dispute which split the Congress Party, to challenger, Xavier Arackal, a Congress Party member who was a supporter of Indira Gandhi.[1]

Austin also became a minister in the government of former Prime Minister of India Charan Singh.[1] He was in charge of civil and food supplies, a position which was the equivalent of the rank of state minister.[1] Austin was named as India's ambassador to Portugal in 1985.[1]

Austin was visiting his daughter in Thiruvananthapuram when he began complaining of uneasiness. He died on his way to the hospital on 15 May 2008, at the age of 88.[1] He was buried at the Infant Jesus Roman Catholic Church Cemetery in Kochi, India.[1]

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