It is a coincidence that the birth anniversary of the former Speaker of Lok Sabha Rabi Ray, an eminent parliamentarian, veteran socialist leader and a valiant freedom fighter falls on 26 November which is the Constitution Day. Odisha has produced many political figures who held important positions but Ray will be remembered as the first Speaker of Lok Sabha from Odisha. His simplicity and modesty were awe-inspiring. He upheld values and principles and fought for the downtrodden and the poor.
At a time when materialism and showmanship has taken a toll of idealism and values, he held them close to his heart. Like a moth drawn to fire, Rabi Ray plunged into the vortex of the freedom movement during his college days. A deep sense of love for the motherland and abhorrence for foreign rule were ingrained in him. In early 1947, while in college, he was arrested for unfurling the National Flag in the college. This brave act of Ray forced the British Government to yield to the students’ demand for unfurling the Tricolour in educational institutions even though the country was still under colonial rule. Born on 26 November 1926 in Bhanagarh village, Puri, he graduated in history from the Ravenshaw College and later studied Law at the Madhusudan Law College.
The foundation of his political career was laid when he was elected President of the Students Union of Ravenshaw College in 1948-49 and then again as the first President of the Madhusudan Law College Students Union in 1949-50. An avowed socialist, he joined the Socialist Party as a member in 1948. Along with a deep sense of commitment to the socialist cause, he possessed leadership qualities which enabled him to remain in the forefront of the socialist movement for a long time. During 1953-54, he held the post of Joint Secretary, All India Samajwadi Yuvak Sabha. In 1956, under the leadership of Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia, Ray founded the Socialist Party in Odisha. He was also a member of the National Executive of the party at that time. Later, in 1960, he became the General Secretary of the party for about a year. His debut in Parliament began in 1967 when he was elected to the Fourth Lok Sabha from the Puri Parliamentary constituency. He was the leader of the Parliamentary Group of the Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP).
Later, he was elected to the Ninth and Tenth Lok Sabhas from the Kendrapara constituency. He was an outspoken parliamentarian known for his forthright views on several issues confronting the nation at the time and for his constructive opposition when he was in the Opposition. He was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1974 and served the House for six years till 1980. The Sixth General Elections brought the Janata Party to power and he found a place in the Union Cabinet as Minister for Health and Family Welfare till January 1980. During this period, he was also the General Secretary of the Janata Party. The Ninth General Elections in 1989 saw his return to the Lok Sabha from Kendrapara. He was unanimously elected Speaker of the Lok Sabha on 19 December 1989. During a short tenure of about one-and-a-half years, he left an indelible imprint.
He regulated the proceedings of Zero Hour for better utilization of time which is appreciated by one and all even today. He allowed members with prior notice to make brief statements on matters of urgent public importance in the House during ‘Zero Hour’, the interregnum after the Question Hour before the commencement of routine business. He will also be remembered for having introduced three ‘subject committees’ as the precursor of the Departmentally Related Standing Committees to examine the policies and programmers of the Government and to ensure executive accountability. A landmark decision given by Ray as the Speaker in 1991 disqualifying some Members in the context of the Anti-Defection Law demonstrated his unbiased disposition, courage and righteousness, following a split in the Janata Dal on whose ticket he himself was elected to the House.
Another significant decision was about admitting the first ever notice of a motion for presenting an Address to the President of India for the removal of a sitting judge from his office. A Committee was set up to investigate the grounds on which the removal of the judge was sought. The matter was, however, dealt by the Tenth Lok Sabha subsequently. He also took the initiative for the direct telecast of Parliamentary proceedings. During his Speakership for the first time on 20 December 1989, the President’s Address to Parliament in the Central Hall was telecast live. Ray was elected the President of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in 1991. He was keen that the future generation should be made aware of the valuable contributions made by our national leaders.
He wanted to recall, remember, and place on record the services of eminent parliamentarians, who played a notable role in the country’s freedom struggle and contributed in building modern Indian as well as for the development of our parliamentary system. Therefore, during his tenure the Indian Parliamentary Group decided to celebrate the birth anniversaries of eminent parliamentarians by holding meetings, seminars, symposia etc., and bringing out monographs under the “Eminent Parliamentarians Series”. Ray has many literary accomplishments to his credit. He edited Samata, an Odia monthly, and Chaukhamba, a Hindi weekly brought out by the erstwhile Socialist Party. He breathed his last on 6 March 2017 at the age of 90 while undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. His mortal remains were consigned to sacred flames in his ancestral village in Puri. The nation mourned his death.
(The writer who worked with Rabi Ray when he was the Speaker of Lok Sabha, is the Consulting Editor of The Journal of Parliamentary Information (JPI) of the Lok Sabha Secretariat.)