Meira Kumar becomes first woman speaker of Lok Sabha

Kumar,elected from Sasaram in Bihar in the recent elections,is the daughter of the late Jagjivan Ram.

Ealier,leaders cutting across the political spectrum,including L K Advani (BJP,Mamata Banerjee (Trinamool Congress),T R Baalu (DMK),Arjun Charan Sethi BJD),Sharad Yadav (JD-U),Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP),Lalu Prasad (RJD),Ram Sundar Das (JD-U),Sharad Pawar (NCP),Farooq Abdullah (NC) and E Ahmed (Muslim League) also tabled their motions proposing Kumar for the post.

After Gandhi’s motion was approved by a voice vote,Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,Mukherjee and Advani escorted Kumar,who was sitting in the front benches,to the Speaker’s Chair.

After Kumar took the Chair,Singh hailed her election as a historic moment and said her services as a distinguished diplomat,25 years in Parliament and her role as a Minister would stand her in good stead to execute her onerous job well.

Recalling his association with Kumar’s father,late Jagjivan Ram,the Prime Minister said he had several occasions to interact with the former Deputy Prime Minister whose “wisdom,knowledge and experience were great assets of the government.”

“You are embodiment of the same qualities of head and heart. You have a distinguished record — as a diplomat,as a Parliamentarian for 25 years and as minister in the government of India,” he said,adding she was the embodiment of “charm,grace and tact.”

The Prime Minister assured her the government’s fullest cooperation in discharge of her duties. “I salute you. I congratulate you for your unanimous election,” Singh said.

Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee shared the Prime Minister’s views that Kumar’s experience as a diplomat,as a political organiser as also administrator in the government and a long stint in Parliament will help her discharge the responsibility bestowed on her.

“I know this is not an easy task. Collectively,we can help you in smooth running of Parliament but handful of us can cause problems,” he said.

With acrimony in the previous Lok Sabha weighing heavily on his mind,Mukherjee,who was also Leader of that House,wanted the new House to create a precedent — not of obstruction and disruption but of debate and discussion.

Noting that Parliament was a temple of democracy,he said only recently a “festival” was witnessed in which 700 million people elected their representatives.

Mukherjee recalled that Speakers from G V Mavlankar to Somnath Chatterjee had a unique record of impartiality,judiciousness and taking correct decisions at correct times and hoped that Kumar will continue the tradition.