Comparative Study of the Speaker

Parliamentary institutions are neither strange nor extrane ous to the Indian set-up. During the ancient period, there were well-established parliamentary institutions. The Chan dogya Upanishad mentions about the democratic institutions in Ancient India. The absolute but democratic monarchs rea lised that the person who presided over the deliberations of the Samiti or the Sabha should be other than the King himself. Thus came the Sabhapati being to conduct the deliberations of the House in an impartial manner. Later, during the Bud dhist period, the institution became prominent in the Re publican States in the North. In South India under the Cholas this institution worked well. But, with the decline of benevo lent and responsible Republican dynasties, the institution of Speakership went into oblivion.

In the British Period, the institution was once again revived in 1854, when the then Governor-General Lord Dalhousie presided over the Legislative Council. This had nothing in common either with the ancient Indian Sabhapati or the inde pendent and non-political Speaker of the Westminster. But in 1921, Sir Frederick Whyte was appointed the first President of the House. Later in 1925, for the first time, the President was elected by the House itself and he was no other than the cele brated Sri Vithalbhai Jaberbhai Patel. In the pre-independence era, the credit for moulding the institution of Speakership as a fearless and impartial one went to these two renowned Speakers.