NEW DELHI, May 22 – The North Eastern Region has a fair representation in Dr Manmohan Singh Council of Ministers, with President, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam swearing in Bijoy Krsihna Handique, PR Kyndiah and Santosh Mohan Dev. While Kyndiah was given Cabinet status, Santosh Mohan Deb was made Minister of State with independent charge, the same status he held in PV Narasimha Rao’s ministry and Sri Handique given Minister of State status. Representation of North-east in the Congress-led-United Progressive Alliance is a shade better given that the previous NDA regime had only one Minister of State in Atal Behari Vajpayee’s Council of Ministers.
All the three MPs who were hot favourites to be inducted in the Ministry, however, got the confirmation, when AICC president, Sonia Gandhi called this morning informing them of their induction. There were various speculations about their portfolios but all the three had no clue about Dr Singh had in mind. The Chief Minister in fact got his confirmation from Dr Singh himself, when he called on him this morning. The two were learnt to have discussed the candidates of Assam. However, when asked Chief Minister denied having discussed the issue, though he expressed the hope that few more may be inducted from the Region in the future.
Five-times MP Bijoy Krishna Handique fortunes finally smiled on him when he got a call from AICC president. This low-profile Congress Working Committee (CWC) member has been with the Congress Party since the days of Indira Gandhi. Dressed in bottle-green silk kurta with a gamocha wrapped around his neck, Sri Handique took oath in English. In attendance were Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi and host of Congress Assam Congress M.P.s Son of late Krishna Kanta Handique he was born on December 1, 1934 at Jorhat. He did his early education in Assam and completed his post-graduation from Calcutta University. He has had a long haul as a politician and was a member of Assam Legislative Assembly in 1972-76. He served in various capacities in Assam Congress Party and was vice president of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee for 10 years before he formally moved to AICC in 1992.
In1991 he was elected to 10th Lok Sabha for the first time and has been member of the Lower House ever since having being re-elected to 11th, 12 and 13th Lok Sabhas. In 1998-1999, he was appointed as chairman of the Railway Convention Committee and had also served as chairman, Committee to review the rate of dividend payable by the Railway Undertakings to General Revenues. As a man who pursues literature as a hobby, he has a publication of poems in Anthology of American poetry titled ‘The other side of the Mirror’ and the “American Poetry Anthology”. He also enjoys reading, poetry, bird watching, and collection of orchids.
The other Minister from Assam’s Barak Valley also has an equally illustrious career in politics. A veteran in Central politics, he is a well-known face in corridors of power at the Centre having played several innings as Central Ministers. First elected to Seventh Lok Sabha, he became Minister at the Centre for the first time in October 1986 to Union Minister of State, Tourism and Communications. In February 1988 he was shifted to Defence Ministry as Union Minister of State. In June the same year, he was appointed as Union Minister of State for Home Affairs.
In 1989, he was re-elected to Ninth Lok Sabha for the Third term from Tripura. A year earlier, he was appointed as observer, Congress Party to Tripura Assembly Elections. He was re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha for the Fourth term in 1991 and was appointed as Union Minister of State, Steel with independent charge. He was subsequently elected to 11th Lok Sabha and 13th Lok Sabha for Fifth and Sixth terms, though he lost the election in 1998. In1999-2000 he was appointed as chairman Committee on Energy and was closely involved in finalisation of the Energy Bill. He was also member of Tea Board. A keen sports organiser, he held several important portfolios and was vice president, of Assam Olympic Association for 10 years and was chairman of Assam Referee Board for three years.
Paty Ripple Kyndiah, who better known in Delhi’s media circle as the soft-spoken chairman of the North East M.Ps. Forum hails from Shillong was former Governor of Mizoram for five year. A social worker of repute he was first elected Meghalaya Legislative Assembly in 1970 and he continued to member of the House for a long spell till1993. He was Minister in Meghalaya State Cabinet for four times and served as leader of Opposition during 1979-1981. In 1987, he was appointed as acting Chief Minister and he subsequently was elected as Speaker of Meghalaya Assembly. He was first elected to Lok Sabha from Shillong seat in 1998 to the 12th Lok Sabha.
He was subsequently elected to 13th Lok Sabha for the second term in 1999. A member of several Parliamentary Committees, Kyndiah has authored books to his credits. Some of his books are ‘Jawaharlal Nehru: The Thinking Dynamo, Meghalaya: Yesterday and Today, Journey of Words and Rev J J M Nichols Roy: Architect of District Council. He was also member of the Assam Sangeet Natak Academy during 1950’s and 1960’s; he was chief of Assam and Meghlaya Red Cross Society and had participated in the massive relief operation organised for the Bangladeshi refugees who fled to India from erstwhile East Pakistan in 1971.