Role of Lok Sabha Speaker

Role of Lok Sabha Speaker

The office of the Speaker occupies a pivotal position in our parliamentary democracy. It has been said of the office of the Speaker that while the members of Parliament represent the individual constituencies, the Speaker represents the full authority of the House itself. He symbolises the dignity and power of the House over which he is presiding. Therefore, it is expected that the holder of this office of high dignity has to be one who can represent the House in all its manifestations.

The responsibility entrusted to the Speaker is so onerous that he cannot afford to overlook any aspect of parliamentary life. His actions come under close scrutiny in the House and are also widely reported in the mass media. With the televising of proceedings of Parliament, the small screen brings to millions of households in the country the day-to-day developments in the House making the Speaker's task all the more important.

Even though the Speaker speaks rarely in the House, when he does, he speaks for the House as a whole. The Speaker is looked upon as the true guardian of the traditions of parliamentary democracy. His unique position is illustrated by the fact that he is placed very high in the Warrant of Precedence in our country, standing next only to the President, the Vice-President and the Prime Minister.   In India, through the Constitution of the land, through the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha and through the practices and conventions, adequate powers are vested in the office of the Speaker to help him in the smooth conduct of the parliamentary proceedings and for protecting the independence and impartiality of the office. The Constitution of India provides that the Speaker's salary and allowances are not to be voted by Parliament and are to be charged on the Consolidated Fund of India.  

Term of Office

The Speaker holds office from the date of his election till immediately before the first meeting of the Lok Sabha after the dissolution of the one to which he was elected. He is eligible for re-election. On the dissolution of the Lok Sabha, although the Speaker ceases to be a member of the House, he does not vacate his office.   The Speaker may, at any time, resign from office by writing under his hand to the Deputy Speaker.   The Speaker can be removed from office only on a resolution of the House passed by a majority of all the then members of the House. Such a resolution has to satisfy some conditions like: it should be specific with respect to the charges and it should not contain arguments, inferences, ironical expressions, imputations or defamatory statements, etc. Not only these, discussions should be confined to charges referred to in the resolution. It is also mandatory to give a minimum of 14 days' notice of the intention to move the resolution.

Election of Speaker

In the Lok Sabha, the lower House of the Indian Parliament, both Presiding Officers—the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker- are elected from among its members by a simple majority of members present and voting in the House. As such, no specific qualifications are prescribed for being elected the Speaker. The Constitution only requires that he should be a member of the House.  But an understanding of the Constitution and the laws of the country and the rules of procedure and conventions of Parliament is considered a major asset for the holder of the office of the Speaker. The election of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha is an important event in the life of the House. One of the first acts of a newly constituted House is to elect the Speaker. Usually, a member belonging to the ruling party is elected the Speaker. A healthy convention, however, has evolved over the years whereby the ruling party nominates its candidate after informal consultations with the Leaders of other Parties and Groups in the House. This convention ensures that once elected, the Speaker enjoys the respect of all sections of the House. There are also instances when members not belonging to the ruling party or coalition were elected to the office of the Speaker.   Once a decision on the candidate is taken, his name is normally proposed by the Prime Minister or the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs. If more than one notice is received, these are entered in the order of receipt. The Speaker pro term presides over the sitting in which the Speaker is elected, if it is a newly constituted House. If the election falls later in the life of a Lok Sabha the Deputy Speaker presides. The motions which are moved and duly seconded are put one by one in the order in which they are moved, and decided, if necessary, by division. If any motion is carried, the person presiding shall, without putting the latter motions, declare that the member proposed in the motion which has been carried has been chosen as the Speaker of the House. After the results are announced, the Speaker-elect is conducted to the Chair by the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition. He is then felicitated by Leaders of all Political Parties and Groups in the House to which he replies in a thanks-giving speech. And from then the new Speaker takes over. 

Speaker in the Chair  

In the Lok Sabha Chamber, the Speaker's Chair is distinctively placed and, from his seat, he gets a commanding view of the entire House. Insofar as the proceedings are concerned, he is guided by the provisions of the Constitution and the Rules of  Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha. He also benefits from the Directions issued by his predecessors which are compiled periodically. Besides, he is assisted by the Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha and senior officers of the Secretariat on parliamentary activities and on matters of practice and procedure. In the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker discharges his functions. A member from the Panel of Chairmen presides over the House in the absence of both the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.

The Speaker has extensive functions to perform in matters administrative, judicial and regulatory, falling under his domain. He enjoys vast authority under the Constitution and the Rules, as well as inherently. As the conventional head of the Lok Sabha and as its principal spokesman, the Speaker represents its collective voice. Of course, he is the ultimate arbiter and interpreter of those provisions which relate to the functioning of the House. His decisions are final and binding and ordinarily cannot be questioned, challenged or criticised.  

Regulating the Business of the House    

 The final authority for adopting rules for regulating its procedure rests with each House, but a perusal of the rules of the Indian Parliament would indicate that the Presiding Officers in the two Houses are given vast powers by the rules. It is the Presiding Officer who decides the admissibility of a Question; it is he who decides the forms in which amendments may be moved to the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. With regard to moving amendments to a Bill, the permission of the Chair is required. If a Bill is pending before the House, it is the Speaker who decides whether he should allow amendments to be moved to various clauses of the Bill or not.   As regards regulating discussions in the House, it is the Speaker who decides as to when a member shall speak and how long he shall speak. It is left to him to ask a member to discontinue his speech or even decide that what a particular member said may not go on record as part of the proceedings. If he is satisfied, the Speaker can direct a member to withdraw from the House for a specific period of time. A member who flouts his orders or directions may be named by the Speaker and in such cases, he may have to withdraw from the House.   The Speaker is the guardian of the rights and privileges of the House, its Committees and members. It depends solely on the Speaker to refer any question of privilege to the Committee of Privileges for examination, investigation and report. It is through him that the decisions of the House are communicated to outside individuals and authorities. It is the Speaker who decides the form and manner in which the proceedings of the House is published. He also issues warrants to execute the orders of the House, wherever necessary, and delivers reprimands on behalf of the House. The entire Parliamentary Estate is under the authority of the Speaker. When a decision of the House is to be ascertained on a motion made by a member, the question is put by the Speaker before the House to obtain the decision. On questions of points of order, it is he who finally decides whether the matter raised is in order or not.   The Speaker also has certain residuary powers under the Rules of Procedure. All matters which are not specifically provided under the rules and all questions relating to the working of the rules are regulated by him. In exercise of this power and under his inherent powers, the Speaker issues from time to time directions which are generally treated as sacrosanct as the Rules of Procedure. On matters regarding interpretation of constitutional provisions relating to the House or the Rules of Procedure, he often gives rulings which are respected by members and are binding in nature. Under the Constitution, the Speaker enjoys a special position insofar as certain matters pertaining to the relations between the two Houses of Parliament are concerned. He certifies Money Bills and decides finally what are money matters by reason of the Lok Sabha's overriding powers in financial matters. It is the Speaker of the Lok Sabha who presides over joint sittings called in the event of disagreement between the two Houses on a legislative measure.     As regards recognition of parliamentary parties it is the Speaker who lays down the necessary guidelines for such recognition. It is he who decides on granting recognition to the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Following the 52nd Constitution amendment, the Speaker is vested with the power relating to the disqualification of a member of the Lok Sabha on grounds of defection.   The Speaker makes obituary references in the House, formal references to important national and international events and the valedictory address at the conclusion of every Session of the Lok Sabha and also when the term of the House expires.     Though himself a member of the House, the Speaker does not vote in the House except on those rare occasions when there is a tie at the end of a decision. Till date, the Speaker of the Lok Sabha has not been called upon to exercise this unique casting vote.   

Speaker and the Committees

The Committees of the House function under the overall direction of the Speaker. All such Committees are constituted by him or by the House. The Chairmen of all Parliamentary Committees are nominated by him. Any procedural problems in the functioning of the Committees are referred to him for directions. Committees like the Business Advisory Committee, the General Purposes Committee and the Rules Committee work directly under his Chairmanship. 

Speaker and Members 

The Speaker is at once a member of the House as also its Presiding Officer. It is always the Speaker's task to ensure that parliamentary decorum is maintained under ail circumstances. For this he is invested with wide-ranging disciplinary powers under the rules. On the one hand, he strives to give adequate opportunities to all sections of the House to ventilate their views and on the other he has to preserve the dignity of the House. The Speaker's position in such situations is certainly unenviable. It is indeed a delicate task which calls for diplomacy, firmness, persuasion and perseverance of a high order.   The Speaker also keeps open a variety of informal channels of communication with individual members and the Leaders of Parties and Groups in the Lok Sabha. He interacts with Leaders of Parliamentary Parties at luncheon meetings on the eve of every Session. These are important occasions when he gets to know the mood of various parties on a wide spectrum of issues. The Speaker has to see to it that Parliament functions the way that it is intended to under the Constitution. All in all, it is always a tight-rope walk for the Speaker.

Speaker and Inter-Parliamentary Relations

The Speaker has certain other functions to perform as the head of the Lok Sabha. He is the ex officio President of the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG), set up in 1949, which functions as the National Group of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the Main Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA). In that capacity, members of various Indian Parliamentary Delegations going abroad are nominated by him after consulting the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Most often, the Speaker himself leads such Delegations. Besides, he is the Chairman of the Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislative Bodies in India.   

Speaker's Administrative Role   

The Speaker is the head of the Lok Sabha Secretariat which functions under his ultimate control and direction. The Speaker's authority over the Secretariat staff of the House, its precincts and its security arrangements is supreme. All strangers, visitors and press correspondents are subject to his discipline and orders and any breach of order may be punished by means of exclusion from the precincts of the Parliament House or stoppage of admission tickets to the galleries for definite or indefinite period, or in more serious cases, dealt with as a contempt or breach of privilege. No alternation or addition can be made in the Parliament House and no new structure can be erected in the Parliament Estate without the Speaker's permission.   

Conclusion 

The office of the Speaker in India is a living and dynamic institution which deals with the actual needs and problems of Parliament in the performance of its functions. The Speaker is the constitutional and ceremonial head of the House. He is the principal spokesman of the House. It is in him that the responsibility of conducting the business of the House in a manner befitting the place of the institution in a representative democray is invested. The founding fathers of our Constitution had recognised the importance of this office in our democratic set-up and it was this recognition that guided them in establishing this office as one of the prominent and dignified ones in the scheme of governance of the country.   Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, one of the chief architects of India's freedom and a moving force behind its Constitution, placed the office of the Speaker in India in the proper context when he said:  

The Speaker represents the House. He represents the dignity of the House, the freedom of the House and because the House represents the nation, in a particular way, the Speaker becomes a symbol of nation's freedom and liberty. Therefore, it is right that, that should be an honoured position, a free position and should be occupied always by men of outstanding ability and impartiality.

This would explain why this office still remains one of the most crucial ones in the life of every Lok Sabha.

Shri Somnath Chatterjee

Shri Somnath Chatterjee

As the Presiding Officer of directly elected House of the People, the Lok Sabha, Speaker is one of the highest constitutional functionaries in India’s Parliamentary system. The sustenance of people’s faith in the democratic institutions depends a great deal on the finesse and effectiveness with which the Speaker conducts the proceedings of the Lower House of Parliament. Indian Parliament, down its history, has had a galaxy of eminent Speakers, who have lent dignity and prestige to the Chair. Shri Somnath Chatterjee joined this illustrious line of Speakers, when he was elected unanimously to the exalted position on 4 June 2004. As Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru said, the Speaker represents the nation, its freedom and liberty.

Born in Tezpur, in Assam on 25 July 1929 to Shri N.C. Chatterjee and Smt. Binapani Debi, Shri Chatterjee had his education in Calcutta and the United Kingdom. He is M.A (Cantab) and Barrister-at-Law from Middle Temple in U.K. Shri Chatterjee is married to Smt. Renu Chatterjee. They have one son and two daughters.

Political Career

Shri Somnath Chatterjee began his career as a lawyer and joined active politics in 1968, when he became a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). His ascendance in national politics began with his election to the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1971. Since then, he has served as a Member in all successive Lok Sabhas, getting elected for the tenth time in 2004 to the current 14th Lok Sabha. From 1989 till 2004, he was the Leader of the CPI(M) in Lok Sabha. His repeated victories in Lok Sabha elections with impressive margins testify to his popularity with the masses, his standing in the party and his towering stature as a parliamentarian.

As a Parliamentarian

With an abiding faith in parliamentary democracy, Shri Somnath Chatterjee has served as a distinguished parliamentarian for over three and a half decades. He has carved a niche for himself as an eloquent speaker and an effective legislator. In recognition of his immense and invaluable contribution in the strengthening of India’s parliamentary system, he was conferred the “Outstanding Parliamentarian Award” in 1996. He has contributed richly to the deliberations of the House since 1971 by participating in the debates on important issues. Shri Chatterjee has never missed a chance to champion the cause of the working classes and the deprived people, by effectively articulating their issues. His debating skills, clear understanding of national and international issues, command over the language and the wit and humour with which he presents his viewpoints in the House make him an eminent parliamentarian, who is heard by the House with rapt attention.

His speeches in the House reveal a lawyer’s mastery over the rules and regulations governing the conduct of business. Throughout his parliamentary career, he has set an example in upholding the values and traditions that enhance the dignity of the House and give strength to the institution of Parliament. Shri Chatterjee has adorned several parliamentary Committees as Chairman and as Member. He served with distinction as Chairman, Committee on Subordinate Legislation and Committee on Information Technology (2 terms), Committee of Privileges, Committee on Railways, Committee on Communications (3 terms). He has been a Member of the Rules Committee, General Purposes Committee, Business Advisory Committee and the Ethics Committee, to name a few. He was associated as a Member of several Joint Committees and Select Committees, particularly the ones requiring expertise in law. As a Barrister and as a senior lawyer, he has brought his legal acumen to the sphere of legislation, both in the House and its Committees.

Election as Speaker of Lok Sabha

By unanimously electing Shri Somnath Chatterjee, Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha on 4 June 2004, the House was creating history. For the first time, it was electing the Speaker pro-tem as Speaker of the Lok Sabha. On 4 June, 2004 the Leader of the Congress Party, Smt. Sonia Gandhi moved the Motion proposing the election of Shri Somnath Chatterjee as Speaker. The Motion was seconded by the Defence Minister, Shri Pranab Mukherjee. It is significant that the Leaders of 17 other Parties in Lok Sabha also had proposed his name which was seconded by Leaders of other Parties. When the Motion was put before the House for consideration and vote, the House adopted it unanimously and Shri Somnath Chatterjee was elected Speaker unopposed.

Congratulating Shri Chatterjee on his election to this exalted office of the Speaker, the Prime Minister, the Leader of Opposition and the Leaders of all Political Parties in the Lok Sabha, expressed confidence in his ability to preside over and conduct the proceedings of the House in an impartial and dignified manner, upholding the highest traditions of Parliamentary Democracy, in the country, in the evolution of which his own contribution has been quite significant.

Replying to the felicitations, Shri Somnath Chatterjee said:

I do not have words adequately to express my feelings for the great honour bestowed on me and I accept the same with all humility and gratitude......

The Fourteenth Lok Sabha has got the people’s mandate to usher in a new era. This is a unique responsibility bestowed on this august House. Our country has made progress in various fields since Independence. However, a lot more needs to be done for the benefit of the common people. We have to ensure that the creative potential and energies of our people are harnessed for fulfilling the hopes and aspirations of various sections of our society, particularly the deprived and the dispossessed, by providing a pro-people secular administration.

..........Nowadays considerable criticism is being faced by the Members of Parliament about their failure to maintain decorum and dignity in the House. The behaviour and conduct of some legislators have become subject of justified criticism and, in some cases, even of ridicule. Unfortunately, there is developing more and more an attitude of confrontation than cooperation in our political life which finds its reflection in the House. We should resolve to change this perception in the minds of the people by our own conduct, both inside and outside the House.

                                               

As Speaker

As Speaker, Shri Somnath Chatterjee symbolises the dignity and credibility of the Lok Sabha and the entire system of parliamentary democracy.

Shri Somnath Chatterjee has taken initiatives in improving the conduct of House proceedings and he has given many important rulings and landmark decisions in this regard. His conduct of the proceedings of the House during the Trust Vote of 22 July, 2008 evoked widespread appreciation from a cross section of citizens from India and overseas.

In order to ensure structured discussion on important issues in the House, Shri Chatterjee has been holding Meetings with Leaders of political parties on a regular basis, before and during all Sessions. Important matters involving misconduct have been referred to the Privileges Committee or a Specially Constituted Committee which has resulted in expulsion and suspension of Members of Parliament.

He has, in consultation with the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, revised the rules for Committee Tours. Reports of International Tours, Conferences and Visits by Parliamentary Delegations overseas are now placed on the Table of the House.

Shri Chatterjee has taken an active interest in the Training and Orientation of newly elected Members of State Assemblies. Apart from regularly addressing the Conference of Presiding Officers of Legislature in States and U.T.s, he has addressed the newly elected Members of the Madhya Pradesh Vidhan Sabha (Bhopal/ 21 June, 2004); Rajasthan Vidhan Sabha (Jaipur / 2 July, 2004); Maharashtra Legislature (New Delhi / 2-4 March, 2005); Kerala Legislative Assembly (Thissur, / 7 August, 2005) ; Bihar Vidhan Sabha (Patna / 6-7 February, 2006). He also addressed the Chairmen of the Committees on Government Assurances of Parliament and State / U.T. Legislatures (New Delhi / 31 October, 2006).

Shri Chatterjee has been invited across the country to address distinguished gatherings on contemporary subjects of regional, national and international importance. He addressed, The Delhi Union of Journalists at the Seminar on ‘Parliament, Press and the People’ (New Delhi/ 23 February, 2005); The Seventh Joint Convention of the Pakistan – India Forum for Peace and Democracy (New Delhi/ 25 February, 2005); The Delhi University at the 3 –day National Meet on the Theme “A dialogue on North-East” (New Delhi/ 2 March, 2005); The 22nd Asian Parliamentary Meeting on Population and Development (New Delhi/ 23 April, 2006); The Seminar on Nepal organized by the South Asian Foundation and the Vichar Nyas (New Delhi / 22 May, 2006); the Book Release Function, “Kashmir, Virasat or Siyasat” (New Delhi / 26 May, 2006); The Conference of Ministers of Health, Agriculture/ Livestock on Avian Influenza Control and Pandemic Preparedness in Asia (New Delhi/ 28 July, 2006).

Shri Chatterjee has delivered Lectures at Functions organised by various prestigious Societies and Institutions. He spoke at the 9th J R D Tata Memorial Oration (New Delhi/ 30 March, 2005) on the subject “Towards Population Stabilization; Role of Good Governance”; 6th D P Kohli Memorial Lecture (New Delhi / 28 April, 2005) on “Parliamentary Democracy in India – Present and Future”; 2nd Nani Palkhivala Lecture (New Delhi/ 12 May, 2005) on “The Scheme of Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances in the Constitution”; V K Krishna Menon Memorial Lecture (Ernakulam/ 6 August, 2005) on “Making Democracy relevant for the Common Man”;Golden Jubilee celebrations of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly (Hyderabad/ 3 December, 2005) on “Role of Parliamentary Democracy in Strengthening the Nation”; 1st Lecture in the Delhi University Lecture Series (New Delhi / 8 March, 2006) on “Challenges before Indian Democracy”; 9th G V Mavlankar Memorial Lecture (New Delhi/ 24 August, 2006) on “ Judiciary and Legislature under the Constitution”; Rajyothsava Day of the State of Karnataka and the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the High Court of Karnataka on “Justice Delivery System : Issues and Problems” (Bangalore, 1 November, 2006); Concluding function of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, Hyderabad (4 November, 2006); Dr.Ambedkar Memorial Lecture on “Law and Social Change” at Aligarh Muslim University (Aligarh/ 24 February, 2007); 26th Annual Convocation of The Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Gujarat on “Rural India: Developmental Challenges” (Anand, Gujarat/ 3 April, 2007); Dr.K.N.Katju Memorial Lecture on “Separation of Powers and Judicial Activism in India” (New Delhi/ 26 April, 2007); The 2^nd Annual Convocation Address at the West Bengal National University of Judicial Sciences (Kolkata/ 23 June, 2007); Sarat Chandra Bose Memorial Lecture on “India at Sixty : Achievements and Challenges” (Kolkata/ 1 September, 2007); Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture on “Status of Parliamentary Democracy in India” (New Delhi/ 14 November 2007); N. L. Belekar Memorial Lecture on “The Role of Legislature and Judiciary in Protecting and Enhancing the People’s Rights in our Democracy” (Nagpur/ 18 February 2008).Lokanath Choudhury Memorial Lecture on “India at 60 – An Agenda for Inclusive Development” (Bhubaneswar/ 8 June 2008); E.M.S. Namboodiripad Memorial Lecture on “Democratic Consolidation: The Indian Experience” (Thiruvananthapuram/ 13 June, 2008);

Parliamentary Diplomacy

A widely traveled person, Shri Chatterjee has been Member of several Government and Parliamentary Delegations. As Speaker, he has led the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to 111^th Assembly of the IPU in Geneva (28 September – 1 October, 2004), 112^th Assembly of the IPU on “The impact of Domestic and International Policies on the situation of Women”, in Manila (3- 8 April, 2005); 113^th Assembly of IPU in Geneva (17-19 September, 2005); 115^th Assembly of IPU in Geneva (16-18 October, 2006). He led Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 50th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Canada (31 August – 1 September, 2004); 51st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Nadi, Fiji Islands, 1-10 September, 2005; 52nd Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Abuja, Nigeria (1-10 September, 2006); 18th Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers Conference in Nairobi, (3-8 January, 2006) ; CPA Mid-year Ex Co Meeting, Isle of Man, (3-6 May, 2006); 100th Anniversary of the Parliamentary Reforms in Finland at Helsinki (1-4 June, 2006); CPA/Wilton Park Conference, London (5-9 June, 2006); Mid-Year CPA Executive Committee in Cyprus (16-20 April, 2007). He has led IPDs to Japan (1-8 November, 2004), Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, Germany (31 May to 13 June 2005), The People’s Republic of China (3-8 July, 2006) and Greece (25-28 September, 2006), Saudi Arab (9-13 February, 2007) and Vietnam (22-28 March, 2007). During the visit to China, the Indian Parliament signed its first MOU with its counterpart in China seeking to enhance Parliamentary exchange and cooperation; He also led the Indian Parliamentary delegation to Cuba (6-10 January, 2008) and The Republic of Bulgaria (16-20 June, 2008). Shri Chatterjee led the Indian Parliamentary delegation to 54^th CPA in Malaysia (1-9 August, 2008).

To enhance India’s prestige abroad, special efforts have been made by the Hon’ble Speaker to improve the quality of presentations during important International Conferences, such as Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, (CPA), Inter- Parliamentary Union (IPU) and other Seminars and Workshops.

Primarily, due to the special diplomatic efforts of the Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha, Shri Hashim Abdul Halim, Speaker of West Bengal Legislative Assembly, was elected by an overwhelming majority as the Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association on 2 September, 2005 at the CPA Conference, Nadi (Fiji) for a 3 – year term. This honour came to an Indian delegate after 20 years! In September 2006, Shri Chatterjee was elected as the President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at Abuja, Nigeria. Under his leadership and able guidance, India successfully hosted the 53^rdCPA conference in New Delhi during September, 2007 where achievements of India in diverse fields were showcased to 52 countries. Shri Chatterjee led the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 117^th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union at Geneva (5-10 October, 2007). He attended the 19^th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth in London (2-6 January, 2008).

Friendship Groups

As of now, there are 57 Friendship Groups with Parliaments of other countries in different stages of constitution/ re-constitution. Out of these, 33 Groups such asChina, Germany, Mongolia, Russia, Vietnam, Greece etc. have been formally constituted, with the appointment of their office bearers. The main object of these Friendship Groups is to enhance contacts and interactions between them and their counterparts in the foreign countries. The parameters of interactions have been worked out in consultation with the Ministry of External Affairs. The Friendship Groups are now associated with various Programmes during visits of foreign dignitaries to India, which was not done earlier.

Televising proceedings of the House

On the initiative of Shri Chatterjee, the proceedings of the ‘Zero Hour’ were telecast live from 5 July 2004. Shri Chatterjee believed that the move was in recognition of the people’s right to know and was not aimed at disciplining the members, nor did he think it would expose Parliament to criticism. To provide a more comprehensive media coverage of Parliamentary proceedings, a full- fledged 24 –hour Lok Sabha Television Channel has become operational with effect from July 24, 2006. This has led to a virtual extension of the Visitors Gallery of the House across the country and is expected to bring the people closer to the Parliament. This is the only one of its kind in the world.

 

Effective Oversight of Government

Yet another significant initiative taken by Shri Chatterjee is in respect of the functioning of the Departmentally Related Standing Committees (DRSCs). The Direction 73A provides that the Minister concerned shall, once in six months, make a Statement in the House on the status of implementation of recommendations contained in the Reports of the DRSCs of Lok Sabha with regard to his/ her Ministry. This has considerably helped in the implementation of the recommendations of the Committees, which are generally unanimous. There has also been a marked increase in the number of ‘Calling Attention Motions’ and ‘Adjournment Motions’ during the 14th Lok Sabha. During the term of the 14^th Lok Sabha, a total of 113 Calling Attention Motions and 7 Adjournment Motions have been called till date.

The Hon’ble Speaker has advocated that the Members themselves should not vote on their pay and allowances and that the same should be done by an independent Commission. The Leader of all Parties supported the suggestion. Accordingly, a proposal was submitted to the Prime Minister for creating an institutional mechanism for fixation of the pay and allowances of the Hon’ble Members, from time to time.

Administrative Reforms in Lok Sabha Secretariat

A comprehensive Cadre Review of the different Services in Lok Sabha Secretariat has been undertaken at the Hon’ble Speaker’s initiative with a view to re-assessing manpower requirement, their effective deployment, charting improved career prospects and upgrading functional efficiency, transparency and accountability. A total of 1787 promotions including Gazetted - 744 and Non-Gazetted- 1043 have been effected since 4 June, 2004. Hon’ble Speaker has delegated administrative and financial powers to the Secretary General to empower the administrative apparatus of the Secretariat and foster true decentralization. A Grievance Redressal Mechanism has been set up in 2005 to enable staff to ventilate and resolve their service-related problems. A Transfer Policy for Staff has been enunciated to avoid ad-hocism. A Pay Committee has been set up after Government’s acceptance of Sixth Pay Commission recommendations.  

Interaction with Media

Hon’ble Speaker has been holding regular meetings with the Media, before and after the Sessions. These have been particularly useful in explaining and clarifying various issues relating to the House proceedings. Orientation Programmes have also been organized by BPST for Media Persons accredited to the Press Gallery of Parliament, which has been highly appreciated. The Press Advisory Committee is being encouraged to hold national seminars and workshops involving their counterparts from the various States.

Highlighting India’s Democratic Heritage

Another important initiative taken by Shri Chatterjee has been the setting up of a high-tech Parliamentary Museum on India’s democratic heritage which was inaugurated by the Hon’ble President of India on 14 August, 2006. The Museum lucidly present the various phases in the evolution of Indian democracy. This Museum is open for public viewing and is a big draw especially for students.

Parliamentary Forums

Parliamentary Forums on (i) Water Conservation and Management, (ii) Children, (iii) Youth and (iv) Population and Public Health, were established in 2005-06 for the first time to equip the Members of Parliament with information and knowledge regarding developments in these sectors and also to make them adopt a result-oriented approach towards related issues. A forum on Global Warming and Climate Change has also been constituted.

Lecture Series for MPs

Apart from conducting regular training programmes, BPST, under the Hon’ble Speaker’s advice, has, in 2005, started a “Lecture Series” for the Members of Parliament on various important issues including “Water Conservation” by Ms.Sunita Narain, Director, CSE (17 August, 2005) ; “Need for Having a Value Added Tax System” by Dr. Parthasarathi Shome, Advisor to Hon’ble Minister of Finance (24 August, 2005) ; “Children’s Development: Challenges Facing India” by Ms. Ann Veneman, Executive Director, UNICEF (9 December, 2005) ; “Right to Information as an Instrument For Rural Development” by Smt. Aruna Roy (15 December, 2005) ; “India’s Challenges to meet the Millennium Development Goals” by Prof. Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director, Earth Institute at Columbia University, New York, USA (3 August, 2006); “Perspectives on the 1857 uprising” by Prof. Irfan Habib, Professor and Head of Department of History (Retd.), Aligarh Muslim University (9 May, 2007); “Farm Crisis: Why have over a lakh farmers killed themselves during the last decade?” by Shr P. Sainath, Rural Editor, The Hindu (6 September, 2007); ‘Global Warming and Climate Change’ by Former Vice President of the United States of America, Mr. Albert Arnold Al Gore, Jr. (14 March 2008); “Climate Change: Implications for India” by Dr.R.K.Pachauri, Chairman, Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change and Director General, TERI (25 April, 2008)

Consulting Exercises

Hon’ble Speaker has been regularly consulting Experts in order to seek their inputs on important policy and programmatic issues. Wide-ranging discussions on important Constitutional issues such as the separation of powers between the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary have been taken up. A Round Table with eminent persons from diverse fields was held on 4 September, 2008.

Widening access to Parliament Library

Till recently, the rich collection of books and journals in the Parliament Library was accessible only to Members of Parliament. On the initiative of the Hon’ble Speaker, access to the Library has been extended to Research Scholars from Universities and Institutions of repute as well as Journalists accredited by the PIB and Government officials.

Children’s Corner

Shri Chatterjee has taken initiative of setting up a well designed, colourful and hi-tech Children’s Corner with an objective of inculcating and encouraging good reading habits among children and to enable them to share the resources of the Library, Museum and Archives of Parliament.

Other Important Events

At the initiative of Hon’ble Speaker, Lok Sabha, a Function was organized in the Central Hall of Parliament House to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of First War of Indian Independence. Various dignitaries and eminent artistes were present to grace the occasion. Shri Chatterjee has taken keen interest in having various cultural programmes of Members of Parliament and Children organized in the Parliament. On the occasion of the 60^th anniversary of Independence, a special function was also organized in the Central Hall of Parliament. The ‘Prof. Hiren Mukerjee Memorial Annual Parliamentary Lecture’ was instituted in honour of the legendary parliamentarian, outstanding scholar and veteran leader, Prof. Hiren Mukerjee. The inaugural lecture was delivered by Nobel Laureate Prof. Amartya Sen on the theme “Demands of Social Justice” in the Central Hall of Parliament on 11 August, 2008.

Shri Somnath Chatterjee, The Multifaceted Personality

Shri Chatterjee, is a multifaceted personality with varied interests that range from education and sports to constitutional studies. He is a people’s man in every sense of the term. He is a modern man, with strong ideological underpinnings but wedded to liberalism. He combines an unwavering commitment to the basic principles and values of India’s democracy with a rare ability to transcend political divides. He believes in giving equal importance to industrial and agricultural sectors and works hard for the advancement of both. He was the Chairman of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation for over a decade and visited many countries in promoting the State as an attractive investment destination.

Shri Chatterjee is actively associated with a large number of socio-cultural, educational and professional institutions and trade unions. Through these organisations, he is engaged in constructive activities, such as the uplift of the deprived and the downtrodden and eradication of illiteracy. A keen sports enthusiast, he loves watching sports events and is associated with several sports organisations and clubs. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the Mohan Bagan Athletic Club, the Cricket Association of Bengal and the Bengal Table Tennis Association etc.

Member of the Lok Sabha since 1971, Shri Somnath Chatterjee has been a role model for Parliamentarians. A highly accomplished lawyer, a trade unionist, an articulate and effective Parliamentarian, a leader of stature, and now the Speaker of the world’s largest democracy, his record will be difficult to break. Throughout his public life he has been infusing a sense of respect among our people in the institutions of democracy and thereby sustaining the people’s faith in them. Being acutely aware of the disenchantment of the common people with the imperfections in  the system, he has been eager to correct them, constantly reminding those in Parliament of the growing cynicism among the people and that unless correctives are applied, the people would lose faith in the efficacy of Parliamentary democracy as a system of governance. Shri Chatterjee has been passionately trying to infuse into the working of the Lok Sabha greater transparency and accountability so as to restore it to a position of pre-eminence as the highest forum of the world’s largest democracy.

RABI RAY

  

RABI RAY

The elections to the Ninth Lok Sabha heralded a new era in the life of parliamentary democracy in India. No single political party  could secure an absolute majority of its own in the House and there was, for the first time in the history of Indian Parliament, a 'hung Parliament'. In spite of this unprecedented political uncertainty, members of the Lok Sabha, cutting across party lines, unanimously elected Shri Rabi Ray as the Speaker of the Ninth Lok Sabha. Endowed with an inherent simplicity and transparent sincerity, Rabi Ray enriched and enhanced the prestige and dignity of the office of the Speaker by his impartial and judicious approach.

Rabi Ray was born on 26 November 1926 in Bhanagarh village in the Puri district of Orissa, famous for the abode of Lord Jagannath, He graduated in History from the premier College of the State, Ravenshaw College, Cuttack and later studied Law in Madhusudan Law College, Cuttack. The foundation of his future political career was laid when he was elected President of the Ravenshaw College Students Union in 1948-49 and as the first President of the Madhusudan Law College Students Union in 1949-50.

Rabi Ray, like the rest of his countrymen, was deeply drawn towards the freedom struggle. An extreme sense of patriotism, love for the motherland and abhorrence for foreign rule were ingrained in him since his student days. In early 1947, while doing his graduation, he courted arrest in connection with the unfurling of the National Flag. Though the country was still under foreign rule, the British Government ultimately had to yield to the students' demand for unfurling the Tricolor in educational institutions.

An ardent believer in socialism from his college days, Rabi Ray joined the Socialist Party as its member in 1948. Due to his innate qualities of leadership and his deep commitment to the socialist cause, he always remained in the forefront of the socialist movement. During 1953-54, he held the post of the Joint Secretary, All India Samajwadi Yuvak Sabha. In 1956, under the leadership of Dr. Rammanohar Lohia, he founded the Socialist Party in Orissa. He was also a member of the National Executive of the Socialist Party during that period. Later, in 1960, he became the General Secretary of the Party for about a year.

Rabi Ray's association with the Parliament began in 1967 when he was elected to the Fourth Lok Sabha from the Puri constituency in the State of Orissa. He was the Leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP) during this period. Rabi Ray, known for his outspoken and forthright views and for constructive opposition, was an articulate parliamentarian. His contribution to the parliamentary debates and indeed to the national life as a whole was as enormous as it was rich. In 1974, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Orissa and completed his full term of membership in the year 1980.

The General Elections to the Sixth Lok Sabha in 1977 resulted in a new political dispensation at the Centre. The Congress Party, which had been dominating the national political horizon since Independence lost power at the Centre for the first time following which the Janata Party formed the Government.  Impressed by Rabi Ray's selfless service. Prime Minister Morarji Desai inducted him into his Cabinet as Minister for Health and Family Welfare in January 1979 and he continued in that post till January 1980, during the period 1977-80, he was also the General Secretary of the Janata Party.

The General Elections to the Ninth Lok Sabha were held in 1989 and Rabi Ray returned to the Lok Sabha on the Janata Dal ticket from the Kendrapara constituency in Orissa. On 19 December 1989, he was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Ninth Lok Sabha. Fully conscious of the onerous responsibility and impartiality of the high office, Rabi Ray assured members that so long as he was the Speaker; he would remain above party politics and would be fair to all.

Although Rabi Ray's tenure as Speaker lasted a short period of fifteen and a half months, there were many challenges he faced in each Session, which he tackled with finesse and firmness. Besides having to give the decision on some ticklish procedural and related issues, he initiated certain procedural innovations, which have definitely made the functioning of Parliament far more effective as an institution mirroring the urges and aspirations of the common people.

One of the most important and far-reaching decisions, which Speaker Rabi Ray took related to the issue of disqualification of some of the members from the membership of the Lok Sabha following a split in the Janata Dal. Following the split in the Janata Dal on 6 November 1990, fifty-eight members claimed to have constituted a group representing the break-away faction of the Janata Dal and they adopted the name of Janata Dal (S). There were claims and counter-claims about the timing of the split vis-a-vis the timing of expulsion. Speaker Rabi Ray had a tough time tackling these complex issues. Displaying a high sense of responsibility, he examined the pros and cons of the issue dispassionately before arriving at the decision. His impartiality was well served by his legal acumen. Indeed, his was a precedent setting ruling.

Yet another important decision taken by Rabi Ray as Speaker was admitting the first ever notice of a motion for presenting an Address to the President of India for the removal from office of a Judge of the Supreme Court of India. He admitted the same and subsequently set up a Committee for the purpose of making an investigation into the grounds on which the removal of the Judge was prayed for. Since the motion has a life of its own under the law, it does not lapse with the dissolution of the House unlike other motions. The motion was finally decided by the Tenth Lok Sabha.

During his Speaker ship, Rabi Ray introduced certain changes in the practices and procedures of the House so as to provide more and more opportunities to the members for raising matters of urgent public importance. The 'Zero Hour', though not recognized in the Rules of Procedure, has always been used by members to raise issues and draw the attention of the House on matters of urgent public importance. Rabi Ray innovated an institutional arrangement to regulate the proceedings during the 'Zero Hour' for the better utilisation of the time of the House. After ascertaining the views of the Leaders of various parties and groups in the House, seven members were allowed to make brief submissions on the matters of urgent public importance one by one provided they gave their notices by 10.30 A.M. on the day of the sitting. This arrangement was appreciated by all sections of the House, as it not only resulted in matters being raised in a more orderly manner on the floor of the House and more optimal use of the time of the House, but also in very constructive results to the extent of forcing the Government to make firm commitments on issues agitating the House or large sections thereof.

The functioning of the Parliamentary Committees in the Indian Parliament had amply proved that they are a helpful adjunct to the political system. Keeping in mind the growing complexities of a modern Welfare State, a need was felt to have subject-based Committees broadly on the pattern obtaining in countries  like the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand to cover the entire spectrum of administration for an in-depth and continuous scrutiny of administrative performance.The Rules Committee of the Eighth Lok Sabha recommended the setting up of three Departmentally-related Subject Committees— one each on Agriculture, Environment and Forests and Science and Technology on an experimental basis. Speaker Rabi Ray hoped that the three new Committees would become the fore runners of a comprehensive system of subject-based Standing Committees thereby making parliamentary surveillance more of a living reality than hitherto.

Speaker Rabi Ray gave a new direction to the working of the Lok Sabha by allowing members more and more opportunities to raise issues affecting the common people, like availability of food through the public distribution system, drinking water facility, housing, health care, land for the tiller, agricultural inputs, employment, development of cottage and small industries, primary education, protection against exploitation and harassment of the poor and weaker sections. He also accorded priority to matters of national concern like communal riots, price rise, planning and development, strengthening of defence, etc. to enable the House to ventilate its genuine concern in these sensitive and crucial matters. He ably guided the deliberations of the House so that positive and constructive results flowed from the debates.

History was created during Speaker Rabi Ray's tenure when, for the first time, a Motion of Confidence moved by the Prime Minister, V.P. Singh was discussed and adopted on the same day. Eleven months later, history was again created when, for the first time, a Motion of Confidence was defeated resulting in the fall of the V.P. Singh Government.

The desirability as well as the extent of allowing T.V. cameras to enter the Chambers of Parliament had been under consideration for a long time, but a meaningful beginning was made during Rabi Ray's tenure when the Address by the President to the members of the two Houses assembled in the Central Hall was telecast and broadcast live for the first time on 20 December 1989.  The Address by the President to the Parliament was telecast and broadcast live in the subsequent year as well. Later, Rabi Ray constituted a Joint Sub-Committee of both the Houses to examine the desirability; technical feasibility and cost involved in televising the proceedings of the two Houses, as he strongly believed that televising would bring Parliament closer to the people.

Rabi Ray was of the view that a Speaker not only acts as a guardian of the House but also has to ensure that the Parliament plays its due role in the promotion and strengthening of inter parliamentary relations. He encouraged greater exchange of Parliamentary Delegations to promote bilateral relations in general and between fraternal Parliaments in particular, thereby giving a new direction to parliamentary diplomacy. He often stressed that parliamentary diplomacy facilitates airing viewpoints, defining problem areas, exchanging ideas and working cooperatively to find solutions to common concerns.

During his tenure. Speaker Rabi Ray led Parliamentary Delegations to different countries. He also led the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 83rd and 84th Inter-Parliamentary Conferences held in Nicosia and Punta del Este in April 1990 and October 1990, respectively. Besides, Rabi Ray attended the 36th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Harare in September 1990. He also had the opportunity to lead the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the 10th Conference of the Commonwealth Speakers and Presiding Officers in Harare in January 1990. Rabi Ray was elected the President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in 1991.

Rabi Ray was ever keen that the generations to come should be made aware of the valuable contributions made by our national leaders. To recall, remember and place on record the services of imminent parliamentarians who played a notable role in the country's freedom struggle and contributed much to the development of the parliamentary system as well as to the building of modern India, the Indian Parliamentary Group, during his tenure, decided to celebrate the birth anniversaries of eminent parliamentarians by holding meetings/seminars/symposia, etc., and by bringing out Monographs under the "Eminent Parliamentarians Monograph Series". Resultantly, under this series. Monographs on Dr. Rammanohar Lohia, Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee, Pandit Nilakantha Das, Panampilli Govinda Menon, Bhupesh Gupta, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Sheikh Mohammed Abdullah, Dr. B.R, Ambedkar, Dr. C.D. Deshmukh, Jaisukh Lal Hathi, V.K. Krishna Menon, M. Ananthasayanam Ayyangar, S.M.Joshi. Dr. Lanka Sundaram, Raj Kumari Amrit Kaur and Pandit Mukut Bihari Lal Bhargava were brought out.  

Rabi Ray was and still is actively associated with several official and non-official organisations in various capacities. He was Member, Central Silk Board, 1974 and the Chairman, Press Council during 1977-78. He was also a member of the Public Accounts Committee, 1975 and the Joint Select Committee on Lokpal Bill, 1977-78. His association with social welfare organisations include his Presidentship of the Lohia Academy and the Gram Vikas Foundation.

Rabi Ray is essentially an activist in attitude and an idealist wedded to humanism. Socialism for him is not a mere intellectual conviction; he practises it in his real life too. He is firmly convinced that socialism is an effective instrument for improving the lot of the underprivileged. In his early years, he had taken part in several constructive activities like building of village roads by mobilising voluntary labour. He also organised study circles and youth clubs like the Samajwadi Nirman Kendra for facilitating the emergence of a strong, broad-based youth and peasant movement on socialist lines.

Besides his special interests, reading and social activities on Gandhian lines, Rabi Ray has many literary accomplishments to his credit. He has edited the Samata, an Oriya monthly, and Chaukhamba, a Hindi weekly brought out by the erstwhile Socialist Party. His book on 'Parliamentary Diplomacy was very well received.

Though Rabi Ray did not contest the elections after the Tenth Lok Sabha, he continues to be a political activist taking part in intellectual forums. He has been spearheading a people's movement through a non-political organisation Lok Shakti Abhiyaan since 1997 against corruption in high places, excessive centralisation and a decadent consumerist culture. He has also been touring different parts of the country in furtherance of ensuring probity and transparency in all spheres of our national life. He also contributes regularly articles on contemporary political and social issues to various leading journals in Oriya/ Hindi and English.