THE ORISSA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
First Session
Wednesday, the 28th July 1937.
The Orissa Legislative Assembly met in the Ravenshaw College Hall at
11 A.M. on Wednesday, the 28th July 1937.
ORDER REGARDING THE APPOINEMENT OF A PERSON TO PERFORM
THE DUTIES OF A SPEAKER.
The Secretary to the Legislative Assembly announced as follows:-
" I hereby announce the following order of His Excellency the Governor of Orissa: -
"In exercise of the power conferred upon him under sub-section (3) of section 65 of the Government of India Act, 1935, the Governor is pleased to appoint Babu Bichitrananda Das, a member of the Orissa Legislative Assembly, to perform the duties of the office of the Speaker of the said Assembly until a Speaker is elected."
He then announced the Hon’ble Acting Speaker and conducted him to the Chair.
ADDRESS BY THE ACTING SPEAKER.
The acting SPEAKER: Hon’ble members of the Orissa Assembly: In this historic
hall in the capital of the Orissa province, I have the proudest privilege to extend to you
my warmest felicitations to day. Friends, you are at the dawn of a new era, because the
old order has changed. It has given place to the new. The old autocratic administration
has given place to the rule of the majority, the rule of the people. However
unsatisfactory the Reform is, it has opened the gate to responsible government. The gate
is open, the gate is visible to the people that we are going to establish the government
of the people by the people and for the people. Friends, I am one of the oldest Congress
members of this province. In 1914 I became a member of the old Congress. Most of you-some
of you have experienced, others perhaps do not know that even the word
"self-government" or home rule was once taboo in this country. Now, dominion
status as Mahatmaji puts it or swaraj, which is visualised by the Congress, is in view,
and that is the goal of India, and we, the members of this Assembly, have the proudest
privilege to be the pioneers of the struggle for that goal of Mother India-attainment of
swaraj or attainment of dominion status. Of course the reforms I cannot describe in
happier and more explicit words than did Mahatmaji himself. I will just quote the
expression: "The Government of India Act is universally regarded on the whole as
unsatisfactory for achieving India’s freedom, but it is possible, however limited and
feeble the resources may be to replace the rule of the sword by the rule of the
majority." But friends, only the gateway is visible to us. Beyond that everything is
dark. If we move carelessly there are deceptive trapdoors and we may fall into them and
lose sight of the goal. We have the proudest privilege that we are to carve our future
destiny and we are to carve out the path, and in that path we must move on till we attain
that Swaraj which is the establishment of government of the people by them and for them,
and the problems that stare us I do not want to describe here. This is not the time nor
the place to describe the struggles of great Congress workers who have sacrificed their
lives for the attainment of this goal of India. We are now out to do service and with a
spirit of service, we have accepted office and I hope the entire House will just
collaborate and co-operate with us in the service of their motherland for the attainment
of that goal which is the establishment of a government of the people for the people by
themselves.
To-days function which is the only duty of the interim Speaker like myself, is the appointment of a permanent Speaker for this House. I find, gentlemen, one of the blessings of the Montford Reforms is the introduction of the non-official President in place of the old official President. There was a time when Governors, Lieutenant-Governors presided in the Councils constituted mostly of nominated members. Before the introduction of diarchy in 1919, there was practically no electoral system and there was no real representative of the people in the House expecting men like Gokhale, Surendra Nath Banerji in other parts of India and Mr. Madhusudan Das and Pundit Gopabandhu Das in our province. They were the people’s men, they were fighting the peoples cause ; but they still were nominated members who were cowed down by and bowed down to the President who presided over the Council. Although in the era of diarchy, the Ministers were meant to be the peoples me, and ought to have been responsible to the Legislature, they went carelessly about their task and merged themselves in the official groove. The Ministry never attempted to feel that theirs is a Government which is responsible to the Legislature. I have told you that this is the dawn of a new era, that the executive is no longer irresponsible to the Legislature, as the Ministry is the Government which is responsible to the Legislature. This is the inauguration day of our Assembly and here really for the first time the Government is sharing with us its responsibility to the Legislature and the people in Orissa. There are 83 lakhs of men, whose representatives about 7 lakhs of voters have sent us as their representatives and in our representative capacity to attend on behalf of each of them. Excepting the nominated members, whom we welcome here, each of you should think and should feel that you are only trustees on behalf of the entire people of Orissa and you are not acting and working in your own individual capacity and if you fail to achieve that purpose, really it will be a calamity. But we have got the proudest privilege that we are the pioneers to leave this glorious heritage to our descendants-the establishment of responsible government.Friends, although I welcome you, representatives of some of the 83 lakhs of people, my heart pains, it pains me very grievously that there are still about 50 lakhs of Oriyas of the outlying Oriya tracts who are left out and who do not share our joy in this House; and I know you all share the sorrow with me that they are not here to-day. The day will come when we will join hands to shape the destiny of our future province.
We have the model of the first Indian President in Mr. Vithalbhai Patel, the great Indian who by his fearless and impartial acts set up a tradition, a parliamentary tradition in the Central Assembly which is to be the guide in future in Central Assembly and all the Provincial Assemblies in India. In fact, by his earnestness, his impersonality and his impartial attitude in times of anxiety, when grave questions arose, he set up a tradition which should be the torchlight to all Speakers in future.
ELECTION OF SPEAKER
The acting SPEAKER: I am glad to find that there are only two nomination papers submitting the name of my brother Mr.Mukunda Prasad Das as the Speaker of this Assembly. There is no other nomination paper. So I declare Sjt. Mukunda Prasad Das as the Honourable Speaker of this House. (Applause.)
CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLY-ELECTED SPEAKER.
The acting SPEAKER : Gentlemen, in Mukunda Babu I have seen a man who has fearlessly worked for his people and who has withstood many tyrants although living away from the metropolis of Orissa in the town of Balasore.
Sriman MANDHATA GORACHAND PATNAIK MAHASAYO and Maulvi MUHAMMAD LATIFUR RAHMAN : ALL this is out of order.
The acting SPEAKER : I know my duty.
He has served his people in the past; his intelligence is well known and his services to our motherland are well known. So, I am glad that all parties in this House have unanimously supported him and there is no rival candidate before the House. With these words I request the Secretary to conduct the Speaker.
(The Honourable the Speaker was conducted into the House by the Assistant Secretary, Secretary and the Honourable Ministers.)
Mr. Mukunda Prasad Das, as the interim Speaker here, I offer my heartiest congratulations that the whole House has shown uniform confidence in you and you are elected unopposed. Looking to your past services, your independent spirit, your fearlessness of character, I am confident, as this House is, that the dignity of this House is safe in your hands. I would only request you to keep up the tradition that Mr. V.J. Patel kept in the Central Assembly. I hope you will discharge this noble trust as fearlessly as you have discharged the great responsibilities of life in the past.
The Hon’ble the Speaker then assumed the Chair.
The Hon’ble the SPEAKER: The National Anthem will be sung. The House will receive it standing.
The House standing.
VANDE MATARAM………………..