Somnath Chatterjee (1929-2018): The Communist who defied the apparatchiks

BORN in Tezpur, Assam, Chatterjee studied in Kolkata's Mitra Institution and then went on to complete his higher education at Presidency College and later the University of Calcutta. He had also earned a law degree from Jesus College in Cambridge.

Earning a master’s degree at the University of Cambridge and a law degree from Middle Temple (one of the Inns of Court) in London, he had returned to India to pursue a legal career that included work as a barrister at the Calcutta High Court and the Supreme Court of India.

Starting from 1968, Chatterjee continued to remain a CPI-M member until 2008 when he was expelled from the party following disagreement with the outfit dominated by the hardliners.

In 1971, he became the Lok Sabha MP for the first time, filling the boots of his father late Nirmal Chandra Chatterjee. However, he was elected as an independent candidate with the support of the CPI-M.

While Chatterjee was a lifelong communist, his father Nirmal Chandra Chatterjee was a legal luminary and parliamentarian who belonged to the Hindu Mahasabha, the pro-Hindu ideological forerunner of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that now rules India.

Throughout his successful career spanning four decades, Chatterjee was elected as the Lok Sabha MP for 10 terms excepting on one occasion in 1984 when he lost to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee (then Congress leader) from Jadavpur constituency, paving the rise of Banerjee in Bengal and India politics.

Chatterjee had fought elections from Bolpur constitutency after his defeat in Jadavpur and was hugely popular there. He never lost an election from Bolpur. 

In 1996, Somnath Chatterjee was crowned with the "Outstanding Parliamentarian" honour for his addresses in Parliament.

In 2004, Chatterjee became the Lok Sabha pro-tem Speaker and later went on to become the Speaker with the unanimous support of the lower house of the parliament.

The rift with his party occurred in 2008 after the CPI-M had decided to withdraw its support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (I) government over the Nuclear deal and instructed Chatterjee to also resign from the Speaker's post.

Chatterjee, with an aim to rise above politics, defied the party's instruction and continued to serve as the Lok Sabha Speaker till 2009.

Eventually, the CPI-M had expelled Chatterjee who called the expulsion as one of his "saddest days".

He was severely critical of a section of CPI-M leaders who he had said had failed to rise up to the occasion and work for protecting democracy. He even had rued that a leader like Sitaram Yechury despite holding the position of General Secretary in the party  was not allowed to work. 

Of late, Chatterjee was in and out of the hospital for the past few months.

A soccer lover, he was a great fan of Messi and Maradona. A lover of Tagore, he was also an art connoisseur. 

"We can’t think of India or think of Bengal without Tagore. People like Nandalal Bose and Abanindranath Tagore were the greatest sons of Bengal, and through their works of art they also created a spirit of nationalism in the country," he had said in an interview to Christie's, the iconic British auction house. 

Politicians Mourn Death of the Leader:

President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted: "Sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Somnath Chatterjee, former Speaker of the Lok Sabha and a veteran parliamentarian who had a forceful presence in the House. A loss for public life in Bengal and India. My condolences to his family and innumerable well-wishers #PresidentKovind."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Chatterjee a 'stalwart' of Indian politics.

"Former MP and Speaker Shri Somnath Chatterjee was a stalwart of Indian politics. He made our Parliamentary democracy richer and was a strong voice for the well-being of the poor and vulnerable. Anguished by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and supporters," he tweeted.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, "Saddened at the passing away of former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath (Da) Chatterjee. My condolences to his family and admirers. This is a great loss for us all "

In a tweet, Congress president Rahul Gandhi said: "I mourn the passing away of Shri Somnath Chatterjee, 10 term MP and former Speaker of the Lok Sabha. He was an institution. Greatly respected and admired by all parliamentarians, across party lines. My condolences to his family at this time of grief."

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh posted: "Deeply saddened to learn of the demise of former Lok Sabha Speaker and senior leader, Shri Somnath Chatterjee. An erudite & seasoned parliamentarian, Somnathda was known for value based politics. He rose above partisan politics on several occasions. My condolences to his family."

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted: "I am sorry to know about the sad demise of Shri #SomnathChatterjee. In spite of our ideological differences, we cherished a very cordial relationship. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family."

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal remarked: "Extremely sad news about Somnath Chatterjee ji. One of the greatest parliamentarians of contemporary times he will always be missed by this country. He will be remembered among the greatest Lok Sabha Speakers India ever had. "

(Writing by Souvik Ghosh/IBNS)