The West Bengal Assembly today unanimously adopted a resolution to pay tribute to former Speaker Hashim Abdul Halim, the longest-serving Speaker of any Legislative Assembly in the country, who passed away recently.
Halim served the West Bengal Assembly as Speaker for over 29 consecutive years from 1982 to 2011. While he gave many controversial rulings as a Speaker, Halim always shared a cordial relationship with the members of the Assembly, Speaker Biman Banerjee said after he moved the resolution to pay homage to the former Speaker.
Speaking on the resolution in the state Assembly, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her deep condolence on Halim's demise and extended sympathies to the bereaved family members, who were present in the House as guests.
"Halim saheb was such a personality whom everybody, cutting across party lines, admired as their friend and advisor," Banerjee said paying her rich tributes to the former Speaker.
The Chief Minister said she had seen him from near when she went to meet him at his residence after his daughter's death.
"Halim saheb welcomed me dearly and I will cherish that memory," Banerjee said.
Describing Halim as a great personality and an able administrator, Banerjee said he would remain alive with his successes in administering office for such a long tenure.
"Some deaths are touching. Emotions make you think and conscience inspires you to work," Banerjee said in her tribute to the departed leader.
She even suggested the Chair to bring out a special publication in the memory of the former Speaker, which was accepted by Speaker Biman Banerjee.
Recollecting her similar experiences with leaders of
several other parties including former chief ministers Ajoy Mukherjee, Siddhartha Shankar Ray and Jyoti Basu, besides CPI stalwart Indrajit Gupta, Banerjee said relationship knows no barriers and leaders have to do some work going above politics.
Banerjee said she had discussed many important issues with these leaders including Jyoti Basu and S S Ray that could not be discussed in public.
"Secrecy needs to be maintained out of mutual respect," the Chief Minister said.
In the first term of the Left Front government between 1977 and 1982, Halim served as the minister of Judicial Affairs and became Speaker in 1982, remaining as one during the rest of Left Front's tenure, in all its six terms.
He did not contest the election in 2011, when the Left Front was defeated after a 34-year stint.
State's Parliamentary Affairs and Education minister Partha Chatterjee said he knew Halim for long and learnt many things from the former Speaker.
"He inspired me in many ways. I spent long hours with him and read many books that he suggested," Chatterjee said.
Paying tribute to Halim, Leader of the Opposition Surjya Kanta Mishra appreciated his able leadership in the House and beyond, besides his multi-faceted talent.
"The widely read former Speaker maintained a good rapport with all and his wit and sense of humour was appreciated by all," Mishra said.
Tribute was paid, among others, by Forward Bloc member Paresh Adhikari, DSP member Probodh Chandra Sinha, SUCI member Tarun Kanti Naskar and BJP member Samik Bhattacharya.
A two-minute silence was also observed in the House as a mark of respect to the departed leader.
The House was adjourned for the day after obituary references were made in the House paying respect to six other former members, who had died recently.
