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Krishan Kant

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For the Indian cricketer, seeKrishna Kant (cricketer).

Krishan Kant
कृष्ण कान्त
10thVice President of India
In office
21 August 1997 – 27 July 2002
PresidentK. R. Narayanan
A P J Abdul Kalam
Prime MinisterI. K. Gujral
Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Preceded byK. R. Narayanan
Succeeded byBhairon Singh Shekhawat
Governor of Tamil Nadu
In office
22 December 1996 – 25 January 1997
Chief MinisterMuthuvel Karunanidhi
Preceded byMarri Chenna Reddy
Succeeded byFatima Beevi
15thGovernor of Andhra Pradesh
In office
7 February 1990 – 21 August 1997
Chief MinisterMarri Chenna Reddy
Nedurumalli Janardhana Reddy
Kotla Vijaya Bhaskara Reddy
Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao
Nara Chandrababu Naidu
Preceded byKumudben Manishankar Joshi
Succeeded byC Rangarajan
Member ofLok SabhaforChandigarh
In office
1977–1980
Preceded byAmarnath Vidyalankar
Succeeded byJagannath Kaushal
Member ofRajya SabhaforHaryana
In office
1966–1977
Personal details
Born(1927-02-28)28 February 1927
Kot Mohammad Khan,Punjab Province,British India
Died27 July 2002(2002-07-27)(aged 75)
New Delhi,India
Political partyJanata Dal(1988–2002)
Other political
affiliations		Indian National Congress(Before 1977)
Janata Party(1977–1988)
SpouseSuman
ChildrenDivya Deepti Handa, Rashmi Kant and Sukant Kohli
Parent(s)Achint Ram
Satyavati Devi
Alma materIndian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi
ProfessionScientist
Signature

Krishan Kant(28 February 1927 – 27 July 2002) was an Indian politician who served as the tenthvice president of Indiafrom 1997 until his death in 2002.[1]Prior to his vice presidency, Kant was thegovernor of Andhra Pradeshfrom 1990 to 1997.[2]He was a member of both houses of theIndian Parliament,representingChandigarhin theLok Sabhafrom 1977 to 1980, andHaryanain theRajya Sabhafrom 1966 to 1977.[1]

Kant was born to parents who wereindependence activistsinPunjab,British India,[1]and was himself arrested inLahoreduring theQuit India movement.[2]Afterindependence,he studiedchemical engineering[1]and briefly worked as a scientist with theCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research,New Delhi,before turning to politics.[2]

Kant was initially associated with theCongress,but later joined theJanata Partyand theJanata Dal.He was considered as a candidate for the2002 presidential election,as was routine for vice presidents.[1]However, thegovernmentand theoppositionsupportedA. P. J. Abdul Kalamas the candidate.[3]Kalam took oath aspresidenttwo days prior to Kant's death.[1]He remains the only Indian vice president to havedied in office.

Early life

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Kant was born on 28 February 1927[4]in Kot Mohammad Khan,Amritsar district,Punjab province[2]toindependence activists,Lala Achint RamandSatyavati Devi.[5]Both of Kant's parents were imprisoned by theBritish colonial governmenton various occasions for their involvement in independence activism, including alongside Kant (aged 16) and his siblings in 1942.[6]Post-independence, Lala Achint Ram was a member of theConstituent Assembly of Indiaand representedHisarandPatialain theLok Sabha.Satyavati Devi outlived her son and died in 2010 as India's oldest surviving independence activist.[6]

Kant studiedchemical engineering[1]atInstitute of Technology,Banaras Hindu University.[2]He later worked as a scientist with theCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research,New Delhi.[2]

Kant was married to Suman Kant, a social worker and an activist.[2][7][8]The couple had two sons and a daughter.[7]

Political career

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Kant had been jailed during theQuit India movementat the age of 16, alongside his parents.[6]

After theindependence of India,Kant joined joined the rulingCongressparty, where formed a group focused on promoting science,[1]and was a member of theAll India Congress Committee.[2]He was also involved in theBhoodan movementinPunjab.[2]

In 1966, Kant was elected to theRajya Sabha,theupper houseof theIndian Parliament,representing the state ofHaryana.He was re-elected in 1972.[1]He chaired the parliamentary committee onrailway reservations and bookingsfrom 1972 to 1977.[4]He was asocialistand belonged to a moreleft-wingfaction of the Congress party.[7]Despite belonging to her Congress party, he opposedIndira Gandhi's decision to impose theEmergency,[1][7]supported opposition leaderJayaprakash Narayanand hisanti-corruptioncampaign.[2]He was expelled from the Congress in 1975, for organising a public event opposing theEmergency,and was jailed for 19 months between 1975 and 1977.[2]

He subsequently joined theJanata Partyand contested theChandigarhLok Sabhaconstituency in1977.[2]He was elected with 66.13% of the vote, defeating Congress' Sat Pal.[9]In1980 general election,Kant lost his seat to Congress'Jagannath Kaushal,and was placed third with 9.30% of the vote, behind Kaushal andindependent candidateRam Swarup.[10]

The President of India,Shankar Dayal Sharmabeing received by the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Krishan Kant, at Renigunta airport

Krishan Kant was the founding general secretary of thePeople's Union for Civil Libertiesin 1976.[4][11]He also was a member of the executive council of theInstitute of Defence Studies and Analysis.[4]

He withMadhu Limayewas also responsible for the collapse of theMorarji Desaigovernment installed by that coalition, by insisting that no member of theJanata Partycould be the member ofRashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS). This attack ondual membershipwas directed specifically at members of theJanata Partywho had been members of theJan Sangh,and continued to be members of the right-wing RSS, the Jan Sangh's ideological parent. The issue led to fall ofMorarji Desaigovernment in 1979, and the destruction of the Janata coalition.[12]

In 1990, Kant was appointedgovernorofAndhra PradeshbyPresidentR. Venkataraman,on advice of theV. P. Singhgovernment.[1][11]He served in the gubernatorial office for seven years. From December 1996 to January 1997, he acted as thegovernorofTamil Nadu,after the incumbent governorMarri Chenna Reddydied in office.

Vice president

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Swearing-in-Ceremony of the Vice President of India, Shri Krishan Kant at the Ashok Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan

In 1997, Kant was jointly selected as the candidate for thevice presidential electionbyIndian National CongressandUnited Front.[13]He defeated formerPunjab chief ministerSurjit Singh Barnalato become India's tenthvice president.

During theterrorist attack on the Indian Parliament in 2001,the terrorists crashed their vehicle into Kant's car before commencing the attack. Kant himself was unhurt during the attack.[14]

He was considered as a potential presidential candidate prior to the2002 election.[1]However, thegovernmentand theoppositionjointly nominated aerospace scientistA. P. J. Abdul Kalaminstead.[3]Kalam was eventually elected and took oath of office two days prior to Kant's death.[1]

Death

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A 2005India Poststamp featuring Kant

On 27 July 2002, Kant was admitted toAIIMS,New Delhiand was declared dead after an hour, after suffering aheart attack.He was aged 75.[15][16]Till date, he remains the only Indianvice presidentto havedied in office.[17]

Prime ministerVajpayeenoted Kant's contribution to theindependence movementand his opposition to theEmergencyand termed his death the "end of an era".[18]He further declared three days ofnational mourning.Pakistani presidentMusharrafsent a letter of condolence toIndian presidentA. P. J. Abdul Kalam.[18]

Kant wascrematedin astate funeralatNigambodh Ghat,New Delhi,on the banks ofYamuna riveron 28 July 2002.[19]His funeral was attended by president Kalam, prime minister Vajpayee,deputy prime ministerAdvani,andopposition leaderSonia Gandhi.[19]

He was survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter as well as grandchildren and great-grandchildren along with his mother,Satyavati Devi,who outlived him by eight years.[1][2][19]

Two weeks after Kant's death, anelectionwas held to elect his successor. FormerRajasthan chief ministerBhairon Singh Shekhawatwas elected vice president.

A park inHyderabadwas named after Kant to commemorate his tenure as governor of Andhra Pradesh.[20]

References

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  1. ^abcdefghijklmnInder Malhotra (29 July 2002)."Obituary: Krishan Kant, India's vice-president, who was determined to reform the nation's electoral laws and block political cupidity".The Guardian.Archived fromthe originalon 12 December 2023.
  2. ^abcdefghijklmPurnima S. Tripathi (3 August 2002)."Obituary: A democrat and a radical".Frontline.Archived fromthe originalon 8 December 2022.
  3. ^ab"Congress for Kalam, Left still for contest".The Hindu.14 June 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 22 September 2002.Retrieved28 May2016.
  4. ^abcd"Former Vice President: Sh. Krishan Kant".Vice President of India.National Informatics Centre.Archived fromthe originalon 31 March 2023.
  5. ^"'Let him become the vice-president, he will take care of our problems'".Rediff.2 August 1997. Archived fromthe originalon 3 October 2023.
  6. ^abc"India's oldest freedom fighter dies at 105".Times of India.27 October 2010. Archived fromthe originalon 31 October 2010.
  7. ^abcdAmy Waldman(28 July 2002)."Krishan Kant, 75, Vice President Of India and Advocate of Rights".The New York Times.Archived fromthe originalon 28 January 2018.
  8. ^"India's vice president fought against British rule".Sarasota Herald-Tribune.29 July 2002. p. 24.Retrieved28 December2023.
  9. ^"General Election of India 1977, 6th Lok Sabha"(PDF).Election Commission of India.p. 201. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 18 July 2014.Retrieved17 December2023.
  10. ^"General Election of India 1980, 7th Lok Sabha"(PDF).Election Commission of India.p. 246. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 18 July 2014.Retrieved17 December2023.
  11. ^abM. A. Mannan (28 February 1993)."Krishan Kant: A socialist-Gandhian baked in the original mould".India Today.Archived fromthe originalon 2 November 2023.
  12. ^Rudolph, Lloyd I. and Rudolph, Susanne H. (1987)In Pursuit of Lakshmi: The Political Economy of the Indian State.University of ChicagoPress. pp 457–459.ISBN9788125015512
  13. ^Namita Bhandare (11 August 1997)."Andhra Pradesh Governor Krishan Kant's election as next vice-president becomes certain".India Today.Archived fromthe originalon 2 November 2023.
  14. ^"How 2001 Parliament attack unfolded and what followed".Deccan Herald.13 December 2019. Archived fromthe originalon 3 October 2023.
  15. ^"Vice-President Krishan Kant dies of massive heart attack".The Economic Times.27 July 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 8 December 2022.
  16. ^"Indian VP Krishan Kant dies of heart attack".Tampa Bay Times.3 September 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 5 September 2020.
  17. ^Syed Amin Jafri (27 July 2002)."Krishan Kant is first vice-president to die in office".Rediff News.Archived fromthe originalon 23 April 2023.
  18. ^ab"Krishan Kant dies in office".The Telegraph.27 July 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 8 December 2022.
  19. ^abc"July 29, 2002, Photos".The Tribune.29 July 2002. Archived fromthe originalon 8 March 2005.
  20. ^"Parks of the Hyderabad: Krishna Kanth Park".12 January 2016.
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Political offices
Preceded by Governor of Andhra Pradesh
1990–1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of Tamil Nadu
1996–1997 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Vice-President of India
1997–2002 		Succeeded by
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