The Indian Parliament has seen some outstanding parliamentarians who strengthened democratic traditions. Among them, Somnath Chatterjee stood tall – literally and figuratively – by his varied contributions, especially in making the office of Speaker one of pivotal importance.
Chatterjee came to Lok Sabha in 1971, at a time when India’s polity was undergoing turbulent changes. When many leaders were arrested during the Emergency, Chatterjee impressed the house with his legal acumen and cogent arguments on diverse issues.
In the decades hence, Chatterjee returned to the Lok Sabha nine more times and led the CPI-M in the House for nearly fifteen years. We used to see Chatterjee regularly visiting the well stocked Parliament Library, consult the available literature on the agenda before the House, and then take part in the discussions. But he was at his best in legal, constitutional and fiscal matters.
In 1996, twenty-five years after he entered the Parliament, his peers honoured him with the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award. But the crowning glory of his distinguished parliamentary innings came in 2004 when he was elected the Speaker of the Fourteenth Lok Sabha.
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