18 Facts About Somnath Chatterjee

Somnath Chatterjee was an Indian politician who was associated with the Communist Party of India for most of his life, though he had been a non affiliated independent during his last decade.

Somnath Chatterjee was the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 2004 to 2009.

Somnath Chatterjee's father, Nirmal Chandra Chatterjee, was a prominent lawyer, intellectual, and Hindu revivalist and nationalist around the time of India's independence, and his mother, Binapani Debi ran the home.

Nirmal Chandra Chatterjee was one of the founders and one-time president of the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha.

In 1948, when the Communist Party of India was banned by the Jawaharlal Nehru led Indian National Congress government in India, and its party leaders arrested, Nirmal Chandra Somnath Chatterjee formed the All India Civil Liberties Union, and agitated for their release.

Somnath Chatterjee was educated at Mitra Institution School, Presidency College and then the University of Calcutta in Calcutta.

Somnath Chatterjee was called to the bar from the Middle Temple in London and took up legal practice as an advocate at the Calcutta High Court before entering active politics.

Somnath Chatterjee was a member of the Communist Party of India from 1968 to 2008.

Somnath Chatterjee became a Member of the Lok Sabha in 1971 when he was elected the first time as CPM candidate from Burdwan.

Somnath Chatterjee was elected for the tenth time in 2004 as a member of the 14th Lok Sabha from Bolpur Lok Sabha constituency, which is considered to be a CPI stronghold.

Somnath Chatterjee appeared unwilling to follow the party line to vote against the government in a crucial July 2008 confidence vote, as voting against the government would mean voting alongside the right-wing opposition BJP.

Somnath Chatterjee suggested that future speakers should resign from their parties while serving in that office to help ensure its non-partisan standing.

Somnath Chatterjee was broadly respected in his constituency; the CPI's 2009 candidate, Ramchandra Dom, expressed admiration for Chatterjee and vowed to continue his work, while the Congress candidate, Asit Mal, said that the people of Bolpur were "hurt at the way [Chatterjee] was driven out of the CPI-M" and that their feelings would "be reflected in the results".

Somnath Chatterjee said that the Supreme Court was encroaching on the right of the Legislature by issuing orders on the proceedings of the Jharkhand Assembly.

Somnath Chatterjee asked for a Presidential reference to the Supreme Court under Article 143 of the Indian Constitution.

Somnath Chatterjee argued that since he did not profit from the office, the demand was baseless.

Somnath Chatterjee married Renu Somnath Chatterjee, who comes from a zamindar family in Lalgola, on 7 February 1950.

Somnath Chatterjee died at a private hospital in Kolkata on 13 August 2018 morning.