Rabi Ray
Former lok sabha speaker
Rabi Ray, who served as Speaker of the 9th Lok Sabha in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was born on November 26, 1926 in Bhanagarh village in Orissa’s Puri district. "Terrorism,” he says, “is tantamount to an attack on humanity. No civilised man can support it.”
The octogenarian Ray was obviously shocked when terrorists targetted India’s financial capital last year. But he has doubts whether the nation has learnt its lessons. “Following 9/11, the US government took exemplary security initiatives. There has been no recurrence of terrorism on their soil. But I don’t think our government has done enough to curb the terror threat,” he says, citing newspaper reports about security lapses after 26/11. “A year has gone by. The government should have taken strong steps by now to root out terrorism once for all.”
Ray’s life-long socialist leanings shine through when he asserts that globalisation and liberalisation, like terrorism, are big threats facing the country today. “These are the main causes of social destruction," he says.
Mr Ray, who recently wrote a letter to the Union home minister appealing for peace talks with Maoists, has never celebrated his birthday. It’s going be to be no different this year. "I don’t believe in birthday celebrations. Every day is a new day for me. But I think 26/11 should be observed as a day of national mourning," he says.
Former lok sabha speaker
Rabi Ray, who served as Speaker of the 9th Lok Sabha in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was born on November 26, 1926 in Bhanagarh village in Orissa’s Puri district. "Terrorism,” he says, “is tantamount to an attack on humanity. No civilised man can support it.”
The octogenarian Ray was obviously shocked when terrorists targetted India’s financial capital last year. But he has doubts whether the nation has learnt its lessons. “Following 9/11, the US government took exemplary security initiatives. There has been no recurrence of terrorism on their soil. But I don’t think our government has done enough to curb the terror threat,” he says, citing newspaper reports about security lapses after 26/11. “A year has gone by. The government should have taken strong steps by now to root out terrorism once for all.”
Ray’s life-long socialist leanings shine through when he asserts that globalisation and liberalisation, like terrorism, are big threats facing the country today. “These are the main causes of social destruction," he says.
Mr Ray, who recently wrote a letter to the Union home minister appealing for peace talks with Maoists, has never celebrated his birthday. It’s going be to be no different this year. "I don’t believe in birthday celebrations. Every day is a new day for me. But I think 26/11 should be observed as a day of national mourning," he says.
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