Title: References made to the passing away of Shri B.M. Mensinkai, Member of 12th Lok Sabha on 17 January, 2003; Smt. Sheila F. Irani, Member of 10th Lok Sabha on 10 April, 2003; Shri Faquir Ali Ansari, Member of 6th Lok Sabha on 18 May, 2003; Shri T. Kiruttinan, Member of Rajya Sabha (1989-1996) and Member of 4th and 5th Lok Sabha on 20 May, 2003, Shri Bhagatram Rajaram Manhar, Member of 5th Lok Sabha, Member of Rajya Sabha (1978-1990) and a sitting Member of Rajya Sabha on 19 June 2003 and Smt. Premalabai Chavan, Member of 5th and 6th Lok Sabha and Member Rajya Sabha (1980-1984) on 8 July, 2003. References also made to the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Algeria on 21 May, 2003, in a cloudburst in Himachal Pradesh on 16 June, 2003 and also to the victims of three recent major train accidents.
MR. SPEAKER: Hon. Members, as we meet today after an interval of about two months, it is my sad duty to inform the House about the passing away of six of our former colleagues, namely Shri B.M. Mensinkai, Shrimati Sheila F. Irani, Shri Faquir Ali Ansari, Shri T. Kiruttinan, Shri Bhagatram Rajaram Manhar and Shrimati Premalabai Chavan.
Shri B.M. Mensinkai was a Member of the Twelfth Lok Sabha from 1998 to 1999, representing Dharwad South parliamentary constituency of Karnataka.
Earlier, Shri Mensinkai was a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council from 1988 to 1994.
Shri Mensinkai was an able parliamentarian. He was a member of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation and Standing Committee on Commerce from 1998 to 1999. He was also a member of Consultative Committee of Ministry of Human Resource Development; and Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority of Ministry of Commerce, from 1998 to 1999.
Shri Mensinkai actively participated in India’s freedom struggle.
He was an active social worker. He also served as President of the Municipal Council, Haveri; Karnataka Rajya Nagar Purasabhegala Maha Mandal; and Karnataka State City and Town Municipal Corporation, Karnataka.
Shri B.M. Mensinkai passed away on 17 January, 2003 at Haveri District, Karnataka at the age of 77.
Shrimati Sheila F. Irani was a nominated Member of the Tenth Lok Sabha from 1995 to 1996.
Earlier, she served as a nominated Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly also from 1969 to 1978.
Shrimati Irani, one of the stalwarts of the All-India Anglo-Indian Association, did a yeoman’s service for the uplift of the Anglo-Indian community and also for society in general.
She was honorary Principal of Ideal Jawa Rotary School. A teacher by profession, she was also a member of the governing bodies of many schools. She also served as a member of the Mysore University Senate from 1993 to 1995.
Shrimati Irani was a well-known social worker. She was associated in various capacities, with many social organisations and their advisory committees. She also served as a member of the National Committee for National Cadet Corps; National Advisory Committee for Speech and Hearing, New Delhi; Advisory Board for Tibetan Refugees on their entry to India; and as the Vice-Chairperson, Karnataka Handicrafts Development Corporation.
Shrimati Irani was a recipient of the Viceroy’s Certificate of Merit for Service in the St. John’s Ambulance Corps as a nurse during the Second World War. She also received the Jean Harris Award from Rotary International in 1999.
Shrimati Sheila F. Irani passed away on 10 April, 2003 at Mysore, Karnataka at the age of 71, after a brief illness.
Shri Faquir Ali Ansari was a Member of the Sixth Lok Sabha from 1977 to 1979, representing Mirzapur parliamentary constituency of Uttar Pradesh.
Shri Ansari was also a member of the Committee on Papers Laid on the Table from 1978 to 1979.
Shri Ansari was an active social worker. He was associated with several social organisations and educational institutions in various capacities. He helped in setting up the Bhadohi Balika Junior High School and was also member of its Managing Committee. He served on the Management Board of the Girls Inter College, Bhadohi. He was also a member of the Bhadohi Welfare Academy.
Shri Faquir Ali Ansari passed away on 18 May, 2003 at Bhadohi, Uttar Pradesh at the age of 65, after a brief illness.
Shri T. Kiruttinan was a Member of the Fourth and the Fifth Lok Sabha from 1967 to 1977, representing Sivaganga Parliamentary Constituency of Tamil Nadu.
Shri Kiruttinan was also a Member of the Rajya Sabha from 1989 to 1996 and Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from 1996 to 2001. He also served as a Minister for State Highways and Port from 1998 to 2001 in the Tamil Nadu Government.
Shri Kiruttinan was an active Parliamentarian. He was a Member of the Committee to Review the Rate of Dividend Payable by Railway Undertaking to General Revenues from 1973 to 1977; Committee on Subordinate Legislation in 1990; and Standing Committee on Petroleum and Chemicals from 1993 to 1996.
Shri Kiruttinan was an agriculturist by profession. He served as president and member of several agrarian and co-operative societies. He worked relentlessly for the uplift of the poor and downtrodden sections of the society. He had keen interest in serving and educating the villagers. He was instrumental in educating public through social dramas and cultural programmes and participated in the Dravidian Students’ Conferences in various districts.
Shri Kiruttinan was a widely travelled person. He was a Member of the Parliamentary Delegation to the erstwhile West Germany in 1972 and the Indian Delegation to the United Nations Organisation in 1990.
Shri T. Kiruttinan died on 20th May, 2003 at Madurai, Tamil Nadu, at the age of 66.
Shri Bhagatram Rajaram Manhar was a Member of the Fifth Lok Sabha from 1974 to 1977, representing Janjgir Parliamentary Constituency of Madhya Pradesh, which is now in Chhattisgarh.
Shri Manhar was a sitting Member of the Rajya Sabha. He had served as a Member of the Rajya Sabha earlier also, from 1978 to 1990.
Shri Manhar was an able Parliamentarian. He was a Member of the Committee on Welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes from 1976 to 1977. As a Member of the Rajya Sabha, he served on the Committee on Railways from 2001 to 2002; the Committee on Papers Laid on the Table from 2002; and the Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture from January, 2003, till his death.