Enriching Parliament’s wisdom
1952, included two historians — Radhakumud Mukherjee and Kalidas Nag, two scientists — Satyendranath Bose (Physics) and Sahib Singh Sokhey (Biochemist), two nationalist litterateurs — Maithilisaran Gupt and Kakasaheb Kalelkar, a lawyer, Alladi Krishnaswami Aiyar, an actor – Prithviraj Kapoor, an educationist — Zakir Husain, a future President of India, and two intellectuals — NR Malkani, a Hindu from the Sind, and JM Kumarappa, a south Indian Christian. A more distinguished bunch could not have been imagined except for its gross gender imbalance. Each one of them was to make a mark, Rukmini Devi’s being the most significant, followed by Prithviraj Kapoor’s bringing up a private member’s bill seeking the abolition of the death penalty.
Over the decades the nominations have varied in stature and impact, with a very mixed set in the prime ministership of Indira Gandhi and a sharp improvement in the prime ministership of Rajiv Gandhi when President Zail Singh nominated the ornithologist Salim Ali, the novelists RK Narayan and Amrita Pritam, the painter MF Husain and the legendary sitarist, Ravi Shankar. Narayan’s maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha on the increasing weight of children’s school bags.
Nominated MPS can join a political party or remain independent. A clear-eyed reading of the intention of nomination is that apolitical persons be nominated. Many nominated MPS have joined the party in power, obviously out of gratitude. Some, like Rukmini Devi and, more recently, MS Swaminathan, have remained independent.
Sonal Mansingh steps, therefore, into a great tradition from where she can make an outstanding contribution to the nation, not just in her chosen field of dance and culture, but in the preservation of our plural heritage and all that makes India a civilisation beyond being a nation.
Gopalkrishna Gandhi is distinguished professor of history and politics, Ashoka University The views expressed are personal