Purno Sangma is certainly entitled to run for the presidency. But he bases his claim on the grounds that he belongs to a scheduled tribe. Is this the only qualification required in our quota-ridden polity? In this context, I remember an episode relating to J Sivashanmukham Pillai, the distinguished Speaker of the then Madras Legislative Assembly when Rajaji was the chief minister in the 1950s. Rajaji was interviewing candidates for the selection of Speaker. When Pillai appeared before him, he asked him as to how he was qualified to hold the post. Rajaji expected Pillai to plead his case on the basis of him belonging to a scheduled caste. But he was surprised when Pillai said he knew the parliamentary procedure well. Rajaji asked him a few questions based on Erskine May’s Parliamentary Practice, which is considered the Bible of the subject. Pillai had mastered that book and came out with flying colours. He became Speaker and some of his rulings were classic. Unfortunately, the Congress High Command did not leverage his expertise. He could have become Speaker of the Lok Sabha. Instead, he was made a member of the Union Public Service Commission, not even chairman!
A Seshan Mumbai
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