Madhu146;s humour

It's rightly observed of Madhu Dandavate that he made full use of Parliament8217; s Zero Hour, to raise issues of public importance. What i...

It8217;s rightly observed of Madhu Dandavate that he made full use of Parliament8217; s Zero Hour, to raise issues of public importance. What is less known is that he did this by raising a few laughs as well. I am taken back to the time when this diminutive professor kept the House rocking with laughter. Once Amal Datta, casting a meaningful look at Dandavate, took a potshot at him:8221;Speaker Sir, here is Professor Madhu Dandavate. He used to be an excellent professor of nuclear physics. When he lectures on economics, one doesn8217;t expect much from him. It is a classic example of economic confusion that he has been inflicting on this House for the last three years.8221; Dandavate cut in, 8220;Sir if he praises me I8217;ll take it that there8217;s something wrong with me.8221;

Reports of several deaths in Delhi8217;s Wellingdon Hospital roused passions in the House at one point. A member ticked off then health minister, Mohsina Kidwai, with the remark, 8220;You may not know that the Wellingdon Hospital is now known as the Killingdon Hospital.8221; The minister clarified that all packaged medicines at the hospital would have the date of expiry inscribed on them. Asked Dandavate, with a straight face, 8220;Date of expiry of the tablet or the patient?8221;

Once the House was debating rising prices. Dandavate sought the attention of Speaker Balram Jhakkar, 8220;Mr Speaker, when I rise to raise the discussion under Rule 193 on rising prices in the country8230;8221; The Speaker interrupted, 8220;By rising yourself!8221; Dandavate cut in, 8220;I rise along with the prices. When prices fall, I will also fall.8221;

On another occasion, the professor had an exchange with then home minister, Y.B. Chavan. The House was discussing deaths in Tihar jail due to consumption of heroin. The home minister clarified that one death was reported to have been caused by the consumption of a lizard8217;s tail by the victim. Geeta Mukherjee wanted to know how the lizard got heroin in its tail. The minister pleaded ignorance but Dandavate quipped, 8220;The lizard itself was the heroin.8221;

In November 1988, the nation was rocked by the Bofors scam. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee put the government in the dock for the deal, Vasant Sathe took a potshot, describing him as 8220;V.P. Singh8217;s bedfellow8221;. He added that in order to climb to power, V.P. Singh was prepared to share a bed with any party. That was when Dandavate piped in, 8220;It is all right so long as he Singh doesn8217;t sleep with the Congress; for he will then gets AIDS!8221;

Dandavate8217;s wit was nascent, and effervescent. We can only hope that humour in the House will not vanish with him.