<b>XI LOK SABHA DEBATES, <i> Session I </i> </b> XI LOK SABHA DEBATES, Session I Thursday, May 23, 1996 / Jyaistha 2, 1918 (Saka)
Type of Debate: FELICITATIONS TO SPEAKER
Title: Welcome to Shri P.A. Sangma, as the Presiding Officer of the August House of the People of this country.
Text:1142 ¤ÉVÉä
SHRI ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE (LUCKNOW):
|ÉvÉÉxÉ ¨ÉÆjÉÒ (¸ÉÒ +]õ±É ʤɽþÉ®úÒ ´ÉÉVÉ{ÉäªÉÒ) : +vªÉIÉ ¨É½þÉänùªÉ, ±ÉÉäEò ºÉ¦ÉÉ Eòä +vªÉIÉ Eòä °ü{É ¨ÉäÆ +É{ÉEòÉ +ʦÉxÉxnùxÉ Eò®úiÉä ½þÖB ¨ÉÖZÉä +iªÉÊvÉEò +ÉxÉxnù ½þÉä ®ú½þÉ ½þè* +É{ÉEòÉ ÊxÉ´ÉÇÉSÉxÉ ºÉ´ÉǺɨ¨ÉiÉ ½þÖ+É ½þè* ªÉ½þ VɽþÉÆ +É{ÉEòÒ ±ÉÉäEòÊ|ɪÉiÉÉ EòÉ {ÉÊ®úSÉɪÉEò ½þè, ´É½þÉÆ <ºÉ ¤ÉÉiÉ EòÉ ¦ÉÒ ºÉÆEòäiÉ ½þè ÊEò ¦ÉÉ®úiÉÒªÉ ±ÉÉäEòiÉÆjÉ +Éè®ú ¦ÉÉ®úiÉÒªÉ ±ÉÉäEòiÉÆjÉ EòÒ ªÉ½þ ºÉ¤ÉºÉä >ðÆSÉÒ |ÉÊiÉÊxÉÊvÉ ºÉƺlÉÉ ®úÉVÉxÉèÊiÉEò ¦ÉänùÉäÆ Eòä ¤ÉÉ´ÉVÉÚnù ¨É½þi´É{ÉÚhÉÇ |ɶxÉÉäÆ {É®ú BEò ½þÉä ºÉEòiÉÒ ½þè, ʨɱÉEò®ú ¡òèºÉ±Éä Eò®ú ºÉEòiÉÒ ½þè*
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(<ÊiÉ)
1148 hours
I have seen you in many capacities and perhaps more than anyone else I have had the opportunity of appreciating your work in whatever capacity you have been working. As the Chief Minister of Meghalaya, I remember the very difficult situations which you faced. As the Labour Minister of India, I very well know through what holes you were dragged some times. But you came out unscathed and you proved to be one of the most successful Labour Ministers of India because the time when you became the Labour Minister was so crucial everything was touch and go - that the whole policy would have collapsed if we not had a Labour Minister of your calibre. So, I feel very happy that you are at the place where your talents will be required in great measure and I am sure they will be available in adequate measure.
I welcome you and I beseech the Members of the House to help you in maintaining the dignity of the House as, I am sure, you would like to maintain the dignity and conduct the business of the House in the best possible manner and in the best traditions of Parliamentary democracy.
I welcome you once again.
(ends)
You, Mr. Speaker, appear to be young, but you are a very experienced leader who had innings in responsible positions at the State-level and the national level and are very humane, intelligent, co-operative, balanced and pragmatic politician and you are bound to protect and enhance the dignity of this august House and to strengthen the democratic and parliamentary system in India. In this responsible and onerous task, you may need the co-operation of this House which, I am sure, would be given to you in ample measure.
The Speaker has to deal with legal, political, economic, social and psychological matters and has to respond to matters which arise suddenly and abruptly. An approach which is sympathetic, unbiased and correct can help in all these matters. The tradition of this House so far has been to adopt an approach of that kind and, I am sure, it would be adopted by it in future also.
I would like to pray for the successful tenure of yours as the Speaker of the 11th Lok Sabha and to give you my very sincere and very warm congratulations on your elevation to this prestigious and high position.
Thank you.
(ends)
1153 hrs.
SHRI SHARAD YADAV (MADHEPURA):
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(<ÊiÉ)
Sir, you have shouldered many responsibilities with great distinction. You had been a teacher, an advocate and more than anything else, you belong to my tribe - you are a journalist. You had been a very good Chief Minister of Meghalaya, not only a Chief Minister but also you acted as the Leader of the Opposition for two years. Therefore, I think I need not remind you about the feelings of the Opposition. So, I am sure, you will be fair to the Opposition.
Sir, the House would congratulate and compliment the small little man of India who went into the small little polling booth and got the small little ballot paper and made a mark, a small little mark on it and elected all of us. All glory to that small little man, the common man, the great citizen of India who has allowed us to retain the reputation that we are the largest democracy in the world.
Sir, you have got a very difficult task before you. The people, in their wisdom, have given no majority to any single Party. This makes your task all the more difficult because nobody wants that the country should plunge into another election. This presupposes that this House and you, Sir, should conduct the affairs in such a way that the burning problems are given attention and care. This I want to remind you.
Sir, when I promise cooperation, I cannot say that we will keep our mouth shut and we will keep the decibel level at the lowest possible level because if there is an approach, it is not just one voice but the voice of the lakhs of people whom we represent. I would like to submit that if a voice is raised from any corner either from the front bench or from the back bench demanding your attention to their plight, I appeal to you, Sir, that you must listen to it. We are here to justify our election, to justify our presence. Therefore, I seek your help in this matter.
Sir, there is always a question whether the Speaker should belong to a Party or not. Sir, I am reminded about the speech of the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha Dr. Mavalankar.
Sir, he had stated very clearly: "It is obviously not possible in the present conditions of our political and parliamentary life to remain as insular as English Speaker so far as political life goes. But the Indian Speaker acting as such will be absolutely a non-Party man meaning thereby that he keeps aloof from party deliberations and controversies. He does not cease to be a politician merely by the fact of his being a Speaker." Therefore, it is very clear, the Speaker may not be non-political but he should definitely be a non-party man. I do hope that nobody will bring him down to a party level. He is above party level.
Sir, the Speaker is here not to run the country. The Speaker is here to run the House efficiently. So, I hope you will rise to the occasion and do justice to all of us.
Sir, there are rules and regulations to guide us. But as the former Speaker has just explained, they are not enough because the composition of the House is so different that the rules may not help you. But I think, you should not be tyrant. Only conciliation and accommodation should solve the problem. Therefore, I want you to be firm and at the same time, I want you to be fare. It is not very difficult. I think it is Aristotle who said: `Man is a political animal.' But we are not political beasts. We have been political adversaries at the best but most of us here have got the highest respect for each other as political beings and personalities and we want to have a proper, healthy discussions and debate.
Sir, we are at the threshold of major challenges; we are at the crossroads of history and I hope this House in its collective wisdom will work in a determined manner to face the challenges that the nation is confronting us.
Therefore, Sir, I offer you all our cooperation and I think we will make it a great success; the Eleventh Lok Sabha will be a great success.
Thank you.
(ends)
1203 hours
Your unanimous election to this august office is a clear recognition of the qualities of your head and heart and it is a fitting decision by all the parties here to agree to this unanimous election.
SirI have had occasions to watch your performance as also achievements as a Member of the House and also as a Minister. And what has always impressed us is apart from your amiability that you have had always an open mind to hear others and if necessary, to change your decision if good arguments were offered. I also remember a great pleasure - your active and competent participation in the deliberations of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation where you were a Member and I had a great honour to be the Chairman. And, I remember your hospitality when we went to Meghalaya. As a Member you could organise that and we had a very profitable time from more senses than one.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, today you are occupying a seat representing a part of our country which has been feeling a sense of alienation from the mainstreams for various reasons and coming from Eastern India also, I have great pleasure that today we have come into the reckoning and all over India there is a clear acceptance of the role you have been playing in projecting the problems and the issues of Eastern India as well apart from all India issues.
Sir, we know that composition of the present House is such that there may be problems and we hope we shall be able to solve them under your guidance and under your leadership.
We hope we shall be able to solve them under your guidance and under your leadership. We have great traditions to maintain and uphold.
This is a House where Members have to articulate the urges and the aspirations of the common people of this country. There are Members of the House who occupy the back benches, but they have also to perform their duties and functions as Members of the House, as the elected representatives of the people. Naturally, I am sure that under you, all sections of the House, particularly the back-benchers as they are called, will get full opportunity to project their points of view and to refer to the problems in their own areas.
We have seen here turbulent times. But that also reflects the problems that are faced by the people outside. Turbulence here does not necessarily mean disrespect to the Chair, but sometimes we have to adopt methods that may not seem to be quite appropriate in this House. I am very confident, knowing you as I do for so many years and having had the great privilege of working with you in Committees, that you will fully justify the faith that we have all shown in you and will be one of the outstanding Speakers of this House.
Sir, on behalf of my party and myself I pledge our full cooperation and I am sure that you will be able to conduct the deliberations of the House with all considerations and you will have a glorious tenure. Mr. Speaker Sir, you have our very best wishes. Thank you.
(ends)
SHRI P. CHIDAMBARAM (SIVAGANGA): Mr. Speaker Sir, I rise to offer my congratulations and good wishes on your election as Speaker. This perhaps was the most unusual election of a Speaker. The 500 odd Members gathered here have witnessed perhaps a very unusual election. I do not wish to comment on the election because we all know the circumstance under which you have been elected as Speaker.
In a sense this reflects the very complex mandate that the people have given in this election. Today and the days that will follow we will all speak on the mandate, the meaning of the mandate, the various interpretations that are possible. Yet, one thing is clear; no one, no party, no leader can arrogate to himself or itself the sole authority to decide the course of this nation. If political parties were slow to gather this message, the people were ahead of us and in a very resounding manner they have declared that all of us must work together. We may have fought elections against each other; but the mandate is to work together, to sit down and negotiate, talk to each other, find ways in which we can agree rather than we can disagree. That, however, will not make the 11th Lok Sabha any less stormy than the 10th or the 9th Lok Sabha. I cannot promise that we will not raise our voices. No one here can promise that we will not rush to the well of the House occasionally.
No one here can promise that we will not question your ruling; no one here can promise good behaviour. But I can promise, Sir, knowing you as an old friend that you will enhance the reputation of the Chair that you sit on because by nature you are a conciliator, you are a negotiator. By nature, you are a man who makes peace with his worst enemies. So, you will bring a healing touch to the very stormy House that I envisage over the next five years.
Sir, my colleague reminded me of the tradition of the Leader of the House and the Leader of the Opposition conducting the Speaker to the Chair. I believe, the tradition began when no one was willing to be the Speaker and therefore the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition had to drag the Speaker to the Speaker's Chair. That is the old British tradition which we have modified and we have a very civilized manner in which we take you to the Chair. The Speaker does not speak: he hears, he listens, he brings about an unspoken consensus, he urges the House to reach this consensus, he urges the House to reflect the wishes of the people.
Sir, I salute you for another reason. I believe, Sir, you will be the youngest person to have been elected to this Chair. You also represent a generation to which I belong. A young generation has to now take the reins of this country and your elevation to this Chair, I believe, will herald that change. And, perhaps, you are the first Speaker who may have been born just after the struggle for Independence, but on the eve of Independence. If you were born a year later, you would have qualified to be called "Midnight's Child". You were born just on the eve of Independence.
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