Gentleness and humility is what described Late M S Gurupadaswamy, former minister and a Member of Parliament who rightfully acquired the title of ‘gentle Parliamenrarian’. As the country celebrates this great parliamentarian’s birth centenary today, his relevance becomes most important in the times when parliamentary proceedings are getting acrimonious each passing day. M S Gurupadaswamy, who was respected by either sides of the aisle as a “gentleman Parliamentarian” started his political journey as a freedom fighter during the Quit India movement of 1942. He entered Parliament on a Praja Socialist Party ticket from the double constituency of Mysore and Chamarajnagar. He was the youngest MP in India’s first Parliament. He earned his parliamentary spurs from leaders such as Pandit Nehru, Acharya Kripalani, Babu Jagjiwan Ram and others.
A voracious reader and a keen debater, he quickly made his mark in the midst of a galaxy of distinguished parliamentarians. In later years and as an active member, he was assigned by the late Asoka Mehta, President of the PSP, the responsibility of coordinating with then Congress President K Kamaraj for the merger of the two parties at the national level. Gurupadaswamy served with distinction in the Cabinets of Indira Gandhi and V P Singh. He had resigned from Mrs Gandhi’s Cabinet on a point of principle during the Presidential election of 1969. While he supported the party’s official candidate, N Sanjeeva Reddy, the Prime Minister put her weight behind V V Giri, leading to a split of the party. Gurupadaswamy was Leader of the Opposition, member of many parliamentary committees and Chairman of the Child Labour Commission. As Leader of the Opposition, he spearheaded the parliamentary attack on the Bofors gun deal.
This resulted in the defeat of the Rajiv Gandhi government and the election of a coalition headed by V P Singh. Elected to the Upper House from Uttar Pradesh at Singh’s urging, Gurupadaswamy was appointed Minister of Petroleum and Chemicals. Because of the immense faith the Prime Minister had in him, Gurupadaswamy was assigned key additional responsibilities including distribution of compensation to victims of the Bhopal gas tragedy. Gurupadaswamy had an enviably unbesmirched record in public life. Known for his honesty, integrity and fairness, he represented an old school of politicians who sincerely believed in public service. Gurupadaswamy withdrew from active politics as he turned 70 in 1992. He went back to his old habit of reading and spent his spare time advising youngsters on how to follow the politics of integrity.