Dr. Shaukatullah Shah Ansari (12 May 1908 – 29 December 1972) was an Indian politician, physician, diplomat, and physician who was elected to the Indian Parliament from the

Bidar Bidar ( ) is a city and headquarters of the Bidar district in Karnataka state of India. Bidar is a prominent place on the archaeological map of India, it is well known for architectural, historical religious and rich heritage sites. Pictures ...

parliamentary constituency for the first

Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...

of India.

Early life

Shaukatullah Shah was born on 16 June 1908 in Yusufpur- Mohammadabad in

Ghazipur Ghazipur, is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ghazipur city is the administrative headquarters of the Ghazipur district, one of the four districts that form the Varanasi division of Uttar Pradesh. It is located on the Ganges (Ganga) ...

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...

. His father, Amjadulla Shah, was a district judge at

Mirzapur Mirzapur () is a city in Uttar Pradesh, India. It is known for its carpets and brassware industries, and the tradition of kajari and birha music. Straddled by the Kaimur extension of Vindhya mountains, it served as the headquarters of t ...

, and his mother was Qamrun Bibi the sister of

Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari Mukhtar Ahmed Ansari (25 December 1880 – 10 May 1936) was an Indian nationalist and political leader, and former president of the Indian National Congress and the Muslim League during the Indian Independence Movement. He was one of the found ...

. Shaukatullah Shah received his early education at home. Thereafter he got enrolled at Aligarh Muslim University for higher studies. He obtained his bachelor's degree in sciences and doctor of medicine from

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

high school,

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

and

University of Paris The University of Paris (), known Metonymy, metonymically as the Sorbonne (), was the leading university in Paris, France, from 1150 to 1970, except for 1793–1806 during the French Revolution. Emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated wit ...

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. He was adopted by the former president of

Indian National Congress The Indian National Congress (INC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a political parties in India, political party in India with deep roots in most regions of India. Founded on 28 December 1885, it was the first mo ...

. He started practicing medicine in

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

in 1937 with his dispensary in

Chandni Chowk The Chandni Chowk (meaning Moonlight Square) is one of the oldest and busiest markets in Old Delhi, India. There is another location in Pune with the name Chandani Chowk. Located close to the Old Delhi railway station, the Mughal-era Red Fort ...

near fountain. Educated in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

at a time when the European intellectual atmosphere was surcharged with socialism and its struggle against fascism (with the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

about to break out), Shaukat studied

socialism Socialism is an economic ideology, economic and political philosophy encompassing diverse Economic system, economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production, as opposed to private ownership. It describes ...

under the influence of the Popular Front before his return to India. When he left Paris there was a growing threat of politicized right-wing violence in the streets of the city, while on the left, there was the Popular Front pulling together Radicals (a centrist group), socialists and communists. In 1938, on his return to India, Shaukat moved to 41-Rajpur Road in a rented house after his uncle died. Dar-as-Salam, the

haveli A ''haveli'' is a traditional townhouse, mansion, or manor house, in the Indian subcontinent, usually one with historical and architectural significance, and located in a town or city. The word ''haveli'' is derived from Arabic ''hawali'', me ...

of Dr.

was sold. Shaukat House at Rajpur Road was a shelter for political activists and progressive writers like Majaz and Suryakant Tripathi. Shaukat regularly helped

Communist Party of India The Communist Party of India (CPI) is a political party in India. The CPI considers the Foundation of the Communist Party of India, December 26, 1925 Cawnpore (Kanpur) conference as its foundation date. Between 1946 and 1951, the CPI led m ...

(CPI) with financial support due to his commitment towards socialism. He drifted away from the CPI in 1939 when the demand of Pakistan surfaced and the left party supported it. Shaukat fought a losing battle organizing the Nationalist Muslims under the banner of the ''Azad Muslim Board''. As the president of AMB, he rejected the very idea of the two-nation theory and its demand for the creation of Pakistan.

Career

As an Indian independence activist he actively participated in the

Non-cooperation movement Non-cooperation movement may refer to: * Non-cooperation movement (1919–1922), during the Indian independence movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule * Non-cooperation movement (1971), a movement in East Pakistan * Non-cooperatio ...

. After independence was achieved he was appointed to the position of Counsellor in the Indian Embassy in

Ankara Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

, in 1948. In 1951, Ansari was elected to the first

from

, Hyderabad State. As a member of

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

, he served on the Advisory Committee for External Affairs. In 1954 and 1955, he went to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

as member of the Indian delegation. In 1957, Dr Ansari went to

Laos Laos, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR), is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by Myanmar and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the southeast, and Thailand to the west and ...

as Chairman of the

International Control Commission The International Control Commission (abbreviated ICC; , or CIC), was an international force established in 1954. More formally called the International Commission for Supervision and Control, the organisation was actually organised as three sep ...

. From July 1958 to September 1960 he served in similar capacity on the

in Vietnam. He represented India at the International Labour Conference in Geneva in 1955. In 1960, he was appointed Ambassador of India to Sudan and Congo. He assumed office as Governor of Orissa on 31 January 1968 and held the post until 1971. Agreeing with the request of

Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...

, he contested Second Lok Sabha general election in 1957 from his native Rasra Constituency but lost to Sarjoo Pandey, the candidate from

. In this electoral contest former

Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Union Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers, despite the president of ...

Chandra Shekhar Chandra Shekhar (17 April 1927 – 8 July 2007), also known as Jananayak, was an Indian politician and the prime minister of India, between 10 November 1990 and 21 June 1991. He headed a minority government of a breakaway faction of the Janata ...

secured the third spot garnering twenty percent of the total votes.

Positions held

* Counsellor, Indian Embassy in Turkey, 1947–48 * Member, Delhi University Court, 1947—49 * Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha),

1951-1957 * Member of the Indian Delegation to the United Nations, 1954, 1955 * Chairman, International Commission for Supervision and Control, Laos and Vietnam 1957 - 1960 * Ambassador to Sudan, 1960 * Ambassador to Congo, 1960 * Governor of Odisha, 1968-71

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ansari, Shaukatullah Shah 1908 births 1972 deaths 20th-century Indian medical doctors India MPs 1952–1957 Ambassadors of India to Sudan Geneva College alumni Governors of Odisha Medical doctors from Uttar Pradesh Lok Sabha members from Hyderabad State People from Bidar Politicians from Ghazipur University of Paris alumni Uttar Pradesh politicians Indian expatriates in France

Early life

Career

Positions held

See also

References