Derek O'Brien (politician)

Derek O'Brien
Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) for West Bengal
Assumed office
19 August 2011
Personal details
Nationality Indian
Political party All India Trinamool Congress
Spouse(s) Tonuca Basu
Alma mater Scottish Church College
Occupation Member of Parliament from Bengal, Trinamool Congress Parliamentary Party Leader (RS) & Chief National Spokesperson
Known for Quizmaster
Website www.derek.in

Derek O’Brien (born 1961) is an Anglo-Indian politician, author, television personality, public speaker and quiz show host.[1][2][3][4] He is a member of the Rajya Sabha [5] (Upper House of India’s Parliament) from Bengal, leading the Trinamool Congress.[6][7] He is also the chief national spokesperson of the party.[8]

Personal background

O’Brien comes from an Anglo-Indian family and can trace his paternal origins to an Irish soldier who came to India in the early 1860s and whose descendants married into the Bengali community. O’Brien is based in Kolkata and speaks, reads and writes Bengali. O’Brien’s grandfather, Amos O’Brien, was the first Christian to serve as head of the Department of English, Banaras Hindu University, and also taught at Ravenshaw College in Cuttack.[9]

O'Brien went to St. Xavier's Collegiate School in Kolkata and for a short period, St. Columba's School in Delhi, and then spent two years at Scottish Church College, Kolkata.[10] O’Brien is the oldest of three sons of Joyce and Neil O’Brien (1934-2016) .[11] Neil O'Brien worked in publishing and retired as the chairman and managing director of Oxford University Press India as well as leading the Anglo-Indian community for two decades.[12]

Professional and quizzing career

O’Brien’s first job was as a journalist at Sportsworld magazine. After a short stint there, he joined the advertising agency Ogilvy in 1984 and became its Creative Head for Kolkata and Delhi. Simultaneously, he embarked on a career as a quizmaster and quiz show host, having been introduced to quizzing by his father, Neil O’Brien, who had conducted the first open quiz in India in 1967.[13][14][15] In 1988, O’Brien hosted his first all-India quizzes as a professional quizmaster: the Bata North Star Quiz and the Maggi Quiz for Schools. In 1990, he joined hands with Economic Times for the Brand Equity Quiz for business corporations. In 1991, he finally quit Ogilvy and set up his own knowledge, education and publishing company, Big Ideas – since renamed Derek O’Brien and Associates.[16][17][18][19][20][21]

O’Brien conducted quizzes in the UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the United States. In 2008, he travelled to Pakistan to host a television quiz for schools from Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. For three years in a row (2003–05), O’Brien won the Indian Television Academy award for Best Host in a Television Gameshow.[22][23][24][25]

O’Brien has spoken at, among others, Harvard, Yale and Columbia Universities in the United States as well as several Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, Hindu College, and Shri Ram College of Commerce in Delhi, and Loreto College, Kolkata.[26][27][28][29][30][31][32]

O'Brien authored the Dunlop Cricket Quiz Book (with Indian cricketers), along with co-author Andy O'Brien, in 1992.

He has served as president of the Dalhousie Institute.[33]

Political career

O’Brien joined the Trinamool Congress in 2004, when the party was still in opposition in Bengal.[34] He later wrote that he was drawn to the charisma and personality of the Trinamool Congress leader (now chief minister of Bengal) Mamata Banerjee, and felt she was the only one who could defeat the then CPI(M)-led Communist government in the state.[35][36]

O’Brien soon became a spokesperson for the Trinamool Congress and was identified as the rare white-collar, English-speaking politician in the party.[37] He came to national media attention during Mamata Banerjee’s protest against the CPI(M) government’s land acquisition attempt in Singur (2006), and then in the run-up to the 2009 Lok Sabha election, in which Trinamool Congress handed the CPI(M) its first defeat in Bengal since 1977.[38][39] He pioneered his party’s social media outreach.[40][41]

In 2011, following the Trinamool Congress victory in the Bengal assembly election, O’Brien was sent to the Rajya Sabha.[42][43]

He currently serves on parliamentary committees relating to Home Affairs, IT, Telecom, HRD, the Business Advisory Committee and the Ethics Committee.[44][45] He also serves on the Railway Convention Committee.[46][47] O’Brien has also been a member of parliamentary select (specific issue) committees,[48] on the Goods and Services Tax Constitutional Amendment Bill,[49] the Insurance Bill,[50] the Land Acquisition Bill,[51] the Citizenship Act Amendment Bill,[52] He has spoken in Parliament on a range of issues, from demonetisation,[53] to net neutrality,[54][55] Jammu and Kashmir,[56] railways[57] and juvenile justice,[58] and participated in the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President of India’s address to Parliament.[59]

In 2012, he addressed the United Nations General Assembly as a member of the Indian parliamentary delegation.[60] O’Brien is frequently seen on news television shows and is a regular commentator on political and policy issues.[61][62] He writes a weekly column for ndtv.com[63] and his articles have appeared in Times of India,[64] Hindustan Times and Indian Express.

O’Brien is also a celebrated author. His books include the bestseller, Inside Parliament: Views for the Front Row, Derek Introduces the Constitution and Parliament of India, My Way, a motivational book, Speak Up Speak Out, a compilation of elocution pieces, and several reference, quiz and text books.[65][66][67][68]

He was sworn in as Member of Parliament on 19 August 2011 [69] and is one of 16 MPs elected to the Rajya Sabha from West Bengal.[70] In 2012, Trinamool Congress named him as its Chief Whip in the Rajya Sabha.[71]

In 2012, O'Brien cast a vote in the presidential election to elect the 13th President of India. His vote is believed to be the first presidential vote cast by an elected member of the Anglo-Indian community—as members of the community have previously been nominated to the Lok Sabha and other assemblies and are not eligible to vote.[72]

References

  1. ↑ বসু, ঋজু. "বাংলাতেই ভরসা, জানাল বই-আড্ডা". anandabazar.com. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  2. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  3. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  4. ↑ "Derek O Brien Biography - About family, political life, awards won, history". www.elections.in. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  5. ↑ "Members Page". 164.100.47.5. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  6. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  7. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  8. ↑ "Derek O'Brien appointed Trinamool Congress chief national spokesperson". The Economic Times. Retrieved 2017-03-11.
  9. ↑ "<img src='http://www.derek.in/Blogpost%20Numbers/Blogpost10.jpg' style='margin-bottom:-6px' />The O'Briens of India and Pakistan". quizderek.blogspot.in. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  10. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  11. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  12. ↑ Agencies. "Neil O'Brien, India's first quizmaster, dies". The Hindu. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  13. ↑ "Derek O'Brien - Penguin India". Penguin India. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  14. ↑ Gupta, Gargi (2008-08-09). "Let`s get quizzical". Business Standard India. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  15. ↑ "Champion of class & decency". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  16. ↑ "The Hindu : It's a quizzer's world". www.thehindu.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  17. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  18. ↑ "Dad's hobby is my profession: Derek O' Brien - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  19. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  20. ↑ "Forbes India Magazine - Print". www.forbesindia.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  21. ↑ "Man of questions to man of answers". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  22. ↑ blsmr. "The Hindu Business Line : What makes Bournvita quiz tick again?". www.thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  23. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  24. ↑ "Author Summary : Derek O' Brien - Pearson Education, India". www.pearsoned.co.in. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  25. ↑ Derek O'Brien to quiz Pak children, retrieved 2017-03-14
  26. ↑ "Harvard University keen on inviting Mamata Banerjee: Derek O' Brien | Latest News & Updates at Daily News & Analysis". dna. 2016-10-31. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  27. ↑ বসু, ঋজু. "বাংলাতেই ভরসা, জানাল বই-আড্ডা". anandabazar.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  28. ↑ "Day 3 of SRCC Business Conclave 2016 ends with Adi Godrej and Rajat Sharma". DU Beat. 2016-02-06. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  29. ↑ "National Law School of India University, Bangalore". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  30. ↑ "Making Knowledge Interesting to People – Derek O'Brien's Mission Statement | InsideIIM.com". insideiim.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  31. ↑ "Harvard University keen on inviting Mamata: O Brien". Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  32. ↑ "Twitter". mobile.twitter.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  33. ↑ "DI has a lady Prez". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2017-04-03.
  34. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  35. ↑ "Opinion: Why I Cannot Discuss The CPI(M) Calmly". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  36. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  37. ↑ "The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Nation | Team Mamata". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  38. ↑ "Opinion: Why I Cannot Discuss The CPI(M) Calmly". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  39. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  40. ↑ "Maa Mati Manush :: M3 Leads - Election campaign on social media". www.maamatimanush.tv. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  41. ↑ "Election #2014: As cyber war rooms get battle-ready, BJP and Congress are reaching out to a new constituency spread across social media 18022013". m.indiatoday.in. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  42. ↑ "BRAND BENGAL". www.telegraphindia.com. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  43. ↑ "Elected Representatives : All India Trinamool Congress". aitcofficial.org. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  44. ↑ "Derek O Brien Biography - About family, political life, awards won, history". www.elections.in. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  45. ↑ "Rajya Sabha-Membership of Parliamentary Committees". 164.100.47.5. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  46. ↑ Rajya Sabha TV (2016-08-09), Sh. Derek O'Brien’s comments on a resolution approving recommendations of Railway Convention Comm., retrieved 2017-03-15
  47. ↑ "DEREK". derek.in. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  48. ↑ "Rajya Sabha-Membership of Parliamentary Committees". 164.100.47.5. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  49. ↑ Derek O'Brien (2016-08-17), Derek O'Brien makes a point of order in RS on GST Bill, retrieved 2017-03-15
  50. ↑ "Insurance Bill" (PDF).
  51. ↑ "Derek O'Brien speaks on Land Acquisition Bill, 2013  : All India Trinamool Congress". aitcofficial.org. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
  52. ↑ "Citizenship Act Amendment Bill". The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
  53. ↑ "Demonetisation: Derek O'Brien hits out at govt, says anybody who opposes the move not anti-national". The Financial Express. 2016-11-24. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  54. ↑ "Derek O'Brien calls attention of the IT Minister at Rajya Sabha on Net Neutrality | Full Transcript : All India Trinamool Congress". aitcofficial.org. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  55. ↑ "Will Keep Fighting For Net Neutrality, Says Trinamool Congress' Derek O'Brien". NDTV.com. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  56. ↑ "Comments on JK" (PDF).
  57. ↑ "Derek O'Brien speaks on FDI in Railways and Defense | Transcript : All India Trinamool Congress". aitcofficial.org. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  58. ↑ "Justice bill" (PDF).
  59. ↑ "Trinamool's Derek O'Brien speaks on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address : All India Trinamool Congress". aitcofficial.org. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  60. ↑ "Derek O'Brien shares UN experience with students - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  61. ↑ Derek O'Brien (2016-12-18), Derek O'Brien on The Big Fight | NDTV, retrieved 2017-03-26
  62. ↑ Derek O'Brien (2016-11-17), Derek O'Brien speaks on the demonetisation issue on CNN News 18, retrieved 2017-03-26
  63. ↑ "Derek O Brien – Author, NDTV.com". www.ndtv.com. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  64. ↑ "Derek O'Brien Blog - Times of India Blog". Times of India Blog. Retrieved 2017-03-26.
  65. ↑ Gupta, Smita (2018-01-13). "Inside Parliament – Views from the Front Row review: Crossing the floor". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
  66. ↑ O'Brien, Derek (2013-01-01). Speak Up, Speak Out: My Favourite Elocution Pieces and How to Deliver Them. Place of publication not identified: Red Turtle. ISBN 9788129121158.
  67. ↑ "No shortcuts". The Hindu. 2014-02-28. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
  68. ↑ O'Brien, Derek (2015-05-03). Derek Introduces the Constitution and Parliament of India (First ed.). New Delhi: Rupa Publications India. ISBN 9788129136558.
  69. ↑ Yechury, Ahmed Patel take oath in Rajya Sabha
  70. ↑
  71. ↑ "Derek O'Brien is TMC Chief Whip in Rajya Sabha". www.indianexpress.com. www.indianexpress.com. 3 Aug 2012.
  72. ↑ President poll: Derek O' Brien first Anglo-Indian to vote, IBN Live, 19 July 2012.
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