Khan sahab – Parliamentarian par excellence

Today evening there was a function at the West Bengal State Assembly. Unveiling of a portrait of ex-chief minister Jyoti Basu was organised by the West Bengal Legislative Assembly and the West Bengal Forum for Parliamentary Studies followed by the first Jyoti Basu Memorial Lecture delivered by former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee.

Chief minister Shri Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and state Congress President, Manas Ranjan Bhuiyan, were also there on the dais. Shri K Rahman Khan, Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha was the chief guest.

I have known Khan Sahab for the past five years now (pictures). He has been kind enough to spare time for me whenever I visited Delhi. We have also met over tea or lunch whenever he is in Kolkata. During his last four visits to the city I had organised lunch or high tea in his honour. He has always impressed my guests with his warmth by mixing with them freely.

Rahaman Khan is one of those Parliamentarians in the country who is into value-based politics. He enjoys the respect of his party and that of members from other parties as well.

I remember the last time he was at my house he was very much at ease dining with the opposition party MPs.

Today I could just meet him for few minutes as he had arrived late from Delhi and returned to the capital immediately after the function. Our country needs Parliamentarians like him. He has brought much respect and dignity to the chair he holds in Rajya Sabha through his personality and countenance.

I was at the Assembly since afternoon and after the function had a meeting with Prasenjit Chatterjee regarding Education for All and then another later dinner meeting with Debasree Roy on Project Karuna for which we are organising a program on Saturday at the South City.

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