BHUBANESWAR: Noted socialist leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray passed away on Monday due to age-related ailments at the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack. He was 91.
Ray is survived by his wife Saraswati Swain. He was hospitalised several days ago with age-related complaints.
The Odisha Government has declared one day State mourning on Tuesday in honour of Ray. National Flag will be flown half mast on all Government buildings for the day. His mortal remains will be cremated with full State honour on Tuesday.
Ray, a towering personality in national politics, believed in socialist ideology till the end and inspired many young politicians from Odisha as well as the country.
Born at Bhanragarh village in Puri district on November 26, 1926, Ray was the Speaker of the ninth Lok Sabha from 1989 to 1991. He was also Union minister for health and family welfare in the Morarji Deasai ministry from January 1979 to January 1980. He was also chairman of the Commonwealth Speakers’ Forum.
PEOPLE across the political spectrum in Kendrapara mourned the death of
veteran socialist leader and former Speaker of Lok Sabha Rabi Ray, who passed away on Monday. Ray (91) is survived by his wife Dr Saraswati Swain.
Ray was elected twice from Kendrapara in the ninth and 10th Lok Sabha polls during his six decades long political career. He did many developmental works in the district including the establishment of Krushi Viganya Kendra and Navodaya Vidyalaya.
Former minister Bhagabat Prasad Mohanty of Kendrapara recalled the contribution of Ray towards development of the State. “Rabi Ray was a champion of socialist politics and made significant contribution to socio-economic development of people of the State,” said Mohanty. Ray was born in Bhanagarh village of Puri district .
In 1956, under the leadership of Dr Rammanohar Lohia, he founded the Socialist Party in the State. In 1989, during the ninth Lok Sabha election, Ray returned to the Lok Sabha on the Janata Dal ticket from Kendrapara. In fact, in the election, no single political party could secure absolute majority on its own. For the first time in the history of Indian democracy, it was a hung Parliament and Rabi Ray was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha then.
Noted socialist leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray passed away on Monday due to age-related ailments at the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack. He was 91.
Ray is survived by his wife Saraswati Swain. He was hospitalised several days ago with age-related complaints.
The Odisha Government has declared one day State mourning on Tuesday in honour of Ray. National Flag will be flown half mast on all Government buildings for the day. His mortal remains will be cremated with full State honour on Tuesday.
Ray, a towering personality in national politics, believed in socialist ideology till the end and inspired many young politicians from Odisha as well as the country.
Born at Bhanragarh village in Puri district on November 26, 1926, Ray was the Speaker of the ninth Lok Sabha from 1989 to 1991. He was also Union minister for health and family welfare in the Morarji Deasai ministry from January 1979 to January 1980. He was also chairman of the Commonwealth Speakers’ Forum.
When Ray was the Speaker, VP Singh was the Prime Minister and Rajiv Gandhi was Leader of the Opposition. He was liked and respected by members cutting across partylines in the Lok Sabha for the high standards maintained by him.
Ray was elected to Lok Sabha for the first time in 1967 from Puri constituency. He was the leader of the parliamentary group of the Samyukta Socialist Party (SSP) till 1971. He was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1974 and completed his term in the Upper House in 1980.
In 1989, Ray was re-elected to the 9th Lok Sabha from Kendrapara constituency as Janata Dal candidate. On 19 December 1989, he was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 9th Lok Sabha. In 1991, he was re-elected to the 10th Lok Sabha from the same constituency.
Ray joined the Socialist Party in 1948 from his college days. He was one of the founder members of the Socialist Party in Odisha in 1956, under the leadership of Dr Rammanohar Lohia. Condoling the death of Ray, Prime Minister Narendra said in tweet, “Saddened by demise of former LS Speaker Rabi Ray. He made a mark as a committed leader & respected Parliamentarian. My condolences.”
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik described Ray as a veteran socialist leader. “As a Union minister and Lok Sabha Speaker, Ray had established a rich tradition in the conduct of the House. He worked with commitment for socialist ideas and moral values in life,” Naveen said in his condolence message.
Union Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan, BJD MPs Bhatruhari Mahatab and Baijayant Panda, State Congress president Prasad Harichandan, former OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik, ministers, MPs, MLAs and members from all walks of life condoled Ray’s death.