Journalism of Courage
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee passed away on Monday aged 89. His health condition had deteriorated on Sunday and he was readmitted to a hospital in Kolkata. (Express archive photo)
Chatterjee had earlier suffered a hemorrhagic stroke in June after which his health declined. He had also suffered a mild cerebral stroke back in 2014. In Pic: Somnath Chatterjee speaking over electoral reforms at CII Headquarters in New Delhi. (Express archive photo by Sanjay K. Sharma)
Chatterjee, who was associated with the Communist Party of India (Marxist), served as Lok Sabha Speaker from 2004 to 2009 during the UPA-I rule. In Pic: L to R: Shrikant Jina, Ram Vilas Paswan, Somnath Chatterjee and Jaipal Reddy at a National Front and left Party meeting in New Delhi. (Express archive photo by Virendra Singh)
An advocate by profession, he actively joined politics in 1968. He became a Member of the Lok Sabha in 1971 and was elected for the first time as an independent candidate supported by the CPI(M). In Pic: Former PM HD Deve Gowda with Somnath Chatterjee after receiving 'Outstanding Parliamentarian 1996' awarded by President S.D. Sharma at Parliament House in New Delhi. (Express archive photo by Sunil Saxena)
One of the longest-serving parliamentarians, Chatterjee, was a ten-time Lok Sabha MP–from 1971 to 2009–except, the 1984 election when he was defeated by Mamata Banerjee. In Pic: Former President A. P. J. Abdul Kalam (L) presents the outstanding parliamentarian award for the year 2000 to the member of parliament Arjun Singh (R) as the speaker of Lok Sabha Somnath Chatterjee (C) looks on during a function to confer the awards for the year 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002 in the parliament house in New Delhi. (Express archive photo)
In 2008, he was expelled from CPI (M) for not resigning as the Speaker after the party withdrew’s its support to the UPA alliance. (Express archive photo)
Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee being congratulated by BJP leader Sikander Bakht and BJP leader A.B. Vajpayee after receiving the Best Parliamentarian Award at Parliament House . (Express archive photo by Ravi Batra)
P. Upendra, Jyoti Basu, Somnath Chatterjee, HK Surjeet and VP Singh during a meeting in New Delhi on 10th March, 1991. (Express archive photo by Ravi Batra)
Somnath Chatterjee being congratulated by former Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and other MP's for receiving the best Parliamentarian Award at Parliament House. (Express archive photo by Ravi Batra)
