The Hindu : National : An outstanding parliamentarian

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 26, 2004

National

National

An outstanding parliamentarian

NEW DELHI, MAY 25. Somnath Chatterjee, one of the most distinguished speakers in the nine previous Lok Sabhas, will be unable to take the floor in the newly-constituted House, as the veteran Marxist is set to occupy the Chair. Mr. Chatterjee will be creating history, being the first Communist leader to get the coveted post of the Lok Sabha Speaker.

It will be a fitting tribute to the CPI(M) MP who has been elected for a record 10th term to the Lok Sabha from the Bolpur constituency in West Bengal.

Mr. Chatterjee, a forceful speaker known for his wit and sarcasm, celebrates his 75th birthday in July.

If one goes by his family background, he is an unlikely Marxist. His father, the late N.C. Chatterjee, once a Lok Sabha MP, had been the president of the Hindu Mahasabha. In contrast, Somnath joined the CPI(M) in 1968 and has been holding fort ever since, relentlessly advocating his party's stand on a whole range of issues.

A recipient of the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award in 1996, he was educated at Cambridge and is a Barrister-at-law from Middle Temple in Britain. But in one sense, Mr. Chatterjee's elevation to the top post in the Lok Sabha will be a loss for the Left who look up to the powerful orator to lead from the front in the House.

Erudite, articulate

The rapport Mr. Chatterjee has established in political circles cuts across party lines. The fact that the Congress on its own offered the key constitutional post to him is an indication of the respect he commands.

The wealth of experience he has gained while serving in various committees of the House is expected to keep him in good stead during the Lok Sabha debates over a variety of issues. He has been Chairman of the Committees on Privileges, Railways and Communications. He has also served in the Joint Select Committee on the sensitive Prasar Bharati Bill twice. He has also worked in the consultative committees of both the Ministries of Finance and Home Affairs.

Most of Mr. Chatterjee's 10 cherished Lok Sabha victories have been with big margins. In 1998, he defeated Hari Chandra Gour of the Trinamool Congress by a margin of 2.51 lakh votes. In 1999, he defeated Suniti Chattaraj, again of the Trinamool, by 1.86 lakh votes. In the 14th general election, he dramatically increased his victory margin, knocking down Trinamool's Nirmal Maji by 3.1 lakh votes.

His only defeat in a Lok Sabha election came in 1984. It was at the hands of Mamata Banerjee in the Jadavpur constituency.

Mr. Chatterjee is actively associated with various educational, cultural and professional institutions.

He has been a member of the Indian Law Institute and the International Law Association and the Governing Body of the Bengal Music College and the Bolpur College.

Connected with a number of trade unions, he has been Chairman of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation and visited many countries in search of possible investment for the State.

PTI

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