THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The period is 1984-89, a time when Rajiv Gandhi, who was the prime minister, was accused of Bofors corruption in Parliament. Vakkom Purushothaman, an MP from Alappuzha at that time, was on the panel of Lok Sabha chairmen. Panel chairmen are entrusted with control of the House in the absence of the Speaker.

On the opposition front, the all-time giants of Indian politics and eminent parliamentarians George Fernandes, Madhu Dantawade, K P Unnikrishnan, Jaipal Reddy and others. Parliament is in turmoil.

Although Lok Sabha Speaker Balram Jakhar was a very efficient parliamentarian and speaker, things are not in his hands. The government also needs to pass important legislation. In this state of turmoil, there was a discussion in the Congress parliamentary party whether Vakkom Purushotham, who was on the chairman's panel, should be given a chance. Vakkom also had such a wish.

With the tacit approval of Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, Vakkom was given the temporary charge of the Speaker of the House. By strategically confronting the opposition and ignoring it where it should have been ignored, he completed the government's business by capturing the House within minutes. National newspapers then wrote that what Jakhar couldn't do was done in minutes.

Mullappally Ramachandran, who was then a Member of Parliament, said that Vakkom's name should always be remembered among the panel chairmen of the Lok Sabha. Later, when he became an MP again, he was given a prime position in the list of panel chairmen. Vakkom Purushotham earned the nickname 'headmaster' among the Samaj for his ability to manage the congregation spontaneously by calling out 'yes, yes'.

Senior leader A K Antony said that his approach to things with the determination to do what he intended to do, whether in the Parliament or the Legislative Assembly, was the reason for the party's success. Following the Congress victory in an assembly election in Karnataka, there was a crucial intervention of Vakkom, who was an election observer there, behind S M Krishna's rise to the post of Chief Minister. Krishna got that position after beating the current AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge. Krishna always had that duty and loyalty to Vakkom.

Debate on not granting leave to the Legislative Assembly

When Vakkom Purushotham, who created a record as the longest-serving speaker, passed away, there was a discussion about not giving leave to the Kerala Legislative Assembly Secretariat yesterday. There was an opinion in the Congress camps that the leave was not given. Vakkom's body was not put on public display in the assembly. Legislature sources indicated that this did not happen because no one had formally requested the matter from Congress.