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| Edited By: |Source: DNA |Updated: Aug 14, 2018, 07:05 AM IST
The passing away of Somnath Chatterjee brings to mind how parliamentarians of a certain vintage contributed to the enrichment of India’s representative democracy.
As an MP with one of the longest innings at the Lok Sabha — he was elected 10 times since 1971 — Chatterjee distinguished himself with his eloquence and erudition. As Speaker, while remaining accessible, he brought a certain gravitas to the chair.
His no-nonsense approach in conducting the business of the House drew praise from politicians of all stripes. Such was Chatterjee’s commitment as Speaker that he took his expulsion from the CPI-M in 2008 in his stride. Back then the party’s general secretary, Prakash Karat, wanted him to step down after the party withdrew support to the UPA government. But Chatterjee pointed out that as Speaker he did not belong to any party.
A Marxist in his beliefs, a peerless Chatterjee had the courage to criticise the CPI-M for its many blunders, especially for its withdrawal of support to UPA-I. Like Pranab Mukherjee, he, too, had acceptability across party and ideological lines.
However, Chatterjee’s illustrious career cannot hide his failure as the chairman of West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation. A fanciful project of the Bengal government to attract investment, WBIDC was one of the many disasters of the Left Front that was undergoing an image correction after three decades of business-unfriendly disposition.
He had also been severely criticised for destroying Rabindranath Tagore’s Shantiniketan. Chatterjee, the MP from neighbouring Bolpur, had allegedly allowed land sharks to carry out mindless development. By and by, they ravaged the natural beauty of this somnolent town. But Chatterjee was a stalwart in the true sense. Politicians like him are in short supply these days.
