Former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray Passes Away
From B.Maharana
06 March, Bhubaneswar
Former Lok Sabha Speaker Rabi Ray breated his last at the SCB Medical College and Hospital , Cuttack at 3 PM Monday.
The 91-year old veteran Gandhian and Socialist leader was suffering from kidney and age related problems.He had been ailing due to age-related problems besides suffering from dementia since last four years.
Ray has been admitted to the Central ICU at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack after his health condition deteriorated on February 12 last and special team of doctors were supervising Ray’s treatment.
Born on November 26, 1926, Ray was elected to the 4th Lok Sabha from Puri constituency in Odisha in 1967.
He was considered close to former chief minister Biju Patnaik. Born on in Bhanagarh village in Puri district, Ray joined national politics due to the inspirational leadership of Dr Rammanohar Lohia.
Prime Minister Morarji Desai inducted Ray into his Cabinet as Minister for Health and Family Welfare in January 1979 and the latter continued in that post till January 1980.
In 1989, he was re-elected to the 9th Lok Sabha from the Kendrapara constituency in odisha as a Janata Dal candidate. On December 19, 1989, he was unanimously elected as the Speaker of the 9th Lok Sabha. In 1991, he was re-elected to the 10th Lok Sabha from the same constituency.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi , Odisha Governor S.C. Jamir, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram and other political leaders mourned Ray’s death.
He graduated in History from Ravenshaw College and later studied Law in Madhusudan Law College, Cuttack. The foundation of his future political career was laid when he was elected President of the Ravenshaw College Students’ Union in 1948-49 and as the first President of the Madhusudan Law College Students’ Union in 1949-50.
Ray was deeply drawn towards the freedom struggle. In early 1947, while continuing his graduation, he courted arrest in connection with the unfurling of the national flag.