08-20-2006, 05:57 AM
<!--emo&:clapping--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clap.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='clap.gif' /><!--endemo--> Shekhawat praised for 4-yr stewardship
[ 20 Aug, 2006 0031hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
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NEW DELHI: The ringing applause for Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as he completed four years as Rajya Sabha chairman on Friday would lead one to believe that he was born for the job.
Far from it. Rising to be the presiding officer of an August House would have been the unlikeliest job description for the son of a humble farmer from Rajasthan who had to drop studies after high school following his father's death.
Even his flourishing political career - upon which he embarked in 1952 clothed in saffron robes - did not give any indication to the enormous success he would be as chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
At a time when divisiveness and partisanship is the name of the political game, the 83-year-old Shekh-awat has steered clear of all controversy and brought a great degree of dignity to a thankless job.
Shekhawat's part in running the Upper House in an orderly and fair manner is all the more remarkable compared to Somnath Chatterjee's turbulent time as Lok Sabha Speaker.
While Chatterjee has hurtled from one controversy to the other, Shekhawat has been almost invisible, doing what the Constitution asks of him without fear or favour.
However, it was not predicted to be so at the start of his tenure. Coming as he did from the saffron camp was enough for the naysayers to be sceptic. But Shekhawat proved everybody wrong.
[ 20 Aug, 2006 0031hrs ISTTIMES NEWS NETWORK ]
RSS Feeds| SMS NEWS to 8888 for latest updates
NEW DELHI: The ringing applause for Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as he completed four years as Rajya Sabha chairman on Friday would lead one to believe that he was born for the job.
Far from it. Rising to be the presiding officer of an August House would have been the unlikeliest job description for the son of a humble farmer from Rajasthan who had to drop studies after high school following his father's death.
Even his flourishing political career - upon which he embarked in 1952 clothed in saffron robes - did not give any indication to the enormous success he would be as chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
At a time when divisiveness and partisanship is the name of the political game, the 83-year-old Shekh-awat has steered clear of all controversy and brought a great degree of dignity to a thankless job.
Shekhawat's part in running the Upper House in an orderly and fair manner is all the more remarkable compared to Somnath Chatterjee's turbulent time as Lok Sabha Speaker.
While Chatterjee has hurtled from one controversy to the other, Shekhawat has been almost invisible, doing what the Constitution asks of him without fear or favour.
However, it was not predicted to be so at the start of his tenure. Coming as he did from the saffron camp was enough for the naysayers to be sceptic. But Shekhawat proved everybody wrong.