Fair and Upright

Rich tributes were  paid by both the Houses of Indian Parliament to Shivraj Patil on his passing away last week. Patil held many constitutional posts in the five decades of his political career. But I remember him most, for his singular contribution for strengthening our democracy as Speaker, Lok Sabha.

Notably, Shivraj Patil made his mark as Dy Speaker when Rabi Ray was Speaker during the 9th Lok Sabha (1989-1991). In the subsequent term, during the premiership of Narasimha Rao, he was unanimously elected Speaker of the Tenth Lok Sabha. He had rich parliamentary experience as he was a member of the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th Lok Sabha. Later, he was reelected to 11th, 12th and 13th Lok Sabhas. A Science graduate with master’s degree in law, he briefly took the job of a lecturer. But his calling was to be public service.

He began his political career as President of Latur Municipality, Maharashtra. He was elected to Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, became a Dy Minister and later elected Dy Speaker of the Assembly. He was elected as Dy Speaker of Lok Sabha in March 1990, the constitutional office that lies vacant from the last Lok Sabha despite constitutional imperative to fill the post with due dispatch. In all the portfolios he held, Patil brought to bear his distinct indelible imprint being fair, upright, fiercely independent and innovative. His is the latest example of resigning from the post of Home Minister in 2008 owning moral responsibility after Bombay blasts in 2008.

It was under his speakership that the decision of far-reaching import was taken to set up seventeen department related standing committees, which were later increased to 24 during the speakership of Somnath Chatterjee. Due to his sustained efforts, the MPs Local Area Development Scheme (MP LAD) was launched in 1993 by Narasimha Rao Govt. The Scheme gave choice to each MP to suggest to the District Collector the execution of capital works to the tune of one crore Rupees per year for developmental works in a constituency, which has since been revised to Rupees five crore per annum.

His pioneering decision about computerization and modernization of the Lok Sabhas Secretariat, laid the foundational work for our digital Sansad over time. For the first time, MPs of the 10th LS were issued notebook computers to enable them to get instant and up to date information to facilitate them in their parliamentary work. He started live telecasting of the proceedings of Questions Hour and also initiated arrangements for live telecasting of the proceedings of the House within a certain range, to begin with.

He laid the foundation of Sansadiya Gyanpeeth - the Parliament Library building. He must be credited with the initiative of installing statues and portraits of many national leaders in the Parliament House Estate, in consultation and after building consensus with the Committee of leaders of political parties in Parliament. He started the practice of paying floral tribute to the leaders on their birthdays whose portraits adorn the Central Hall. It was during his speakership that the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award was set up under the aegis of Indian Parliamentary Group.

He took definitive steps for strengthening inter parliamentary cooperation with the result officers and MPs of many countries started attending orientation programs and training in the BPST, now rechristened as PRIDE. He introduced Research Fellowships for selected scholars for undertaking original studies in parliamentary subjects. On the administrative side, he kept balance between the deputationists and the regular cadre. At one point , when the situation escalated, he convened a meeting of leaders of political parties. The issue was amicably resolved by him in accordance with the salutary principle of separation of powers and check and balance between the three organs of the State.

In 1993, he gave a decision under the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution recognizing twenty MPs as a separate group in the House though they had been expelled by their party-the Janata Dal- for violating party whip. He held that the expellees violated party whip, but the anti-defection law condones a genuine split if it met the parameters of the Tenth Schedule. He also opined that the anti-defection law should be made more comprehensive to cure its defects and shortcomings. However, there is no doubt that in regulating the proceedings of the House, he was fiercely independent and never yielded to pressure from either side.

The Tenth Lok Sabha had great parliamentarians like Vajpayee, Advani, irrepressible George Fernandes, Bhogendra Jha, Shard Yadav, Somnath Chatterjee, Amal Dutta, Indrajit Gupta, Geeta Mukherjee, K. P. Unnikrishnan and many other stalwarts. There were times when heated exchanges took between the Speaker and members like George Fernandes, Basudev Acharya, Unnikrishnan and others. On one such occasion, Patil asked belligerent Fernandes and others who were creating ruckus to bring a motion for his removal if they did not have faith in his impartiality. Calm was instantly restored and the House resumed its business as the opposing members, led by Fernandes, declared their full faith and confidence in him as Speaker.

Members of opposition and new members were conscious of the fact that Shivraj Patil gave them more time than warranted by their strength in the House. He encouraged new Members to participate in the debates. Prof. Mohan Singh of Samajwadi party made an eloquent mention to this effect when he was later conferred upon the Outstanding Parliamentarian Award.

I recollect how Ministries took diligent care to ensure that their papers and documents reach Parliament secretariat well in time for inclusion in the List of Business or for circulation among the MPs. Ministers could not take him for granted as he followed rules scrupulously and unexceptionally. Such was his sense of independence and earnest desire to run the House smoothly that he was quite accommodative to the opposition. The matter was said to have figured in the Congress parliamentary party forum, but senior party leaders assuaged the party members that the Speaker has to use his discretion in the larger interest of smooth conduct of business of the House. He had exemplary patience and an abiding sense of impartiality and fairness, the true hall marks of a great Speaker. Verily, he belonged to the league of great speakers, a fading tribe.