On Teachers' Day, Ramesh recalls Radhakrishnan's 'impartial role' as RS Chairman

On the birth anniversary of former president Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday recalled his tenure as Rajya Sabha Chairman and how he was “impartial” towards both the government and the opposition.

Ramesh said that today is Teachers’ Day, celebrated since 1962 in response to a request from the National Federation of Teachers to mark the birthday of one of the greatest educators of 20th century India and indeed of the world.

“For decades he was hailed as a true Vishwaguru in the real sense of the term,” the Congress leader said in a post on X.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was a philosopher of great renown and the author of evergreen classics like Indian Philosophy (1923 & 1927), The Hindu View of Life (1927), Eastern Religions & Western Thought (1939),The Bhagavad Gita (1948), The Dhammapada (1950), The Principal Upanishads (1953) and many others, Ramesh recalled.

He was a professor, vice chancellor, Ambassador to the USSR, and Vice President and President of India, Ramesh noted.

“As Vice President, he (Radhakrishnan) was also the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. Addressing the Council of States on its very first day on May 16, 1952, he had famously said: ‘I belong to no party and that means I belong to no party’,” the Congress leader said.

“His authoritative biographer has written about his tenure as Chairman when he ‘was coolly impartial between the government and the opposition’ and’ ‘he did not hesitate, when need arose, to rebuke even the Prime Minister or expunge his remarks when they transgressed propriety’ and when he ‘with grace and style and humour, established high standards of fair and reasonable decision’,” Ramesh said.

Ramesh’s remarks come amid repeated standoffs recently between the Chair and the opposition MPs in both Houses of Parliament.