Foreign affairs to defence, his focus goes beyond Dalit and rural welfare

NEWDELHI:As a parliamentarian, Ram Nath Kovind has expressed interest on a variety of subjects even as his key focus was rural and Dalit welfare.

In 1996, Kovind had asked if Doordarshan, cable networks and private channels are prohibited from telecasting adult movies. “Whether government proposes to initiate a clear policy to stop the cultural invasion by foreign channels,” he had asked in another question. Kovind’s queries came in the backdrop of complaints that private channels — new entities at that point of time—were often showing sexual content.

A year later, he wanted to know from the then defence minister Mulayam Singh Yadav about a sensitive report on India-China war in 1962. “Whether any proposal is under the government’s consideration to make public the General Henderson Report on India’s debacle against China in 1962?” he had asked.

Yadav responded that the report contains very sensitive details relating to military operations and can’t be made public.

Kovind posed 283 questions during the two terms and also made five Special Mentions in Parliament. He mentioned about inclusion of Tansi caste in SC list and atrocities against Dalits in Bihar. In 1995, he also wanted to know why there was a delay in announcing the results of air hostess examination.

From India-Israel agreement to power project by Japanese firms, Kovind had shown interest in foreign affairs as well.