K.R. Ramesh Kumar, senior Congress leader and six-time MLA, was elected unanimously as the Speaker of the 15th Legislative Assembly on Friday. This is his second term as Speaker, after his first stint between 1994 and 1999.
Soon after his elevation as Speaker, Mr. Ramesh Kumar, elected from Srinivaspur Assembly constituency in Kolar, conducted the proceedings of the House as Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy and former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa traded charges against each other during the motion of confidence. Excerpts from an interview:
The session saw many personal attacks. What do you feel about it?
That is bad. They should have understood my initial thanksgiving remarks. I did tell them how the language should be. It should be effective and convey the message. But politics is now reduced to this level right from the top most office, making personal accusations, baseless remarks, and character assassination. You cannot accept (it).
What do you think are the reasons for the decline?
In the past, the House had dignified and respectable members no matter which party they belonged to.
Decline begins when the line of demarcation between business and politics disappears. When business becomes politics and vice versa in any political system you cannot have better results than this.
Will you bring in any code to prevent character assassination on the floor of the House?
No. As presiding officer, my endeavour will be to raise the level. It will not happen at the start.
That (character assassination) is because of intellectual poverty. If you are intellectually equipped, you will start your argument/attack on issues. You will go by statistics and merit.
If you don’t have stuff, you will borrow it from someone. It is a ‘tiffin’ carrier.
This Assembly has more than 50 newcomers. How do you plan to train them?
The legislature convenes training programmes for first-timers to make them understand parliamentary practices. They (legislators) get elected for various reasons and the most important thing is how many of them will be interested to understand parliamentary practices, and go to the library to understand things.
It is a coalition government against a formidable Opposition. Do you think the sessions will be stormy and will your role be tricky?
It is not a Rotary Club. It’s a legislature. Let the sessions be stormy. Coalition is a matter of administrative convenience between two parties. My work is only to run the House.
What do you have to say about the former Minister Suresh Kumar withdrawing from the race for Speaker?
In the best of their (BJP) wisdom, they must have discussed and decided it. I complement and thank them. They have shown large-heartedness and it is a good gesture.
