India, Dec. 14 -- Shivraj Patil, former Union Minister, Governor and Speaker, who passed away on Friday, was an exceptional politician, perhaps the only one from his state to have been elected to the Lok Sabha seven consecutive times. He was suave, soft spoken and a perfectionist, who adhered to rules and regulations and expected everyone else to do so as well.

The Parliament Library is his contribution to our democracy and as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1991 to 1996, he created certain benchmarks which shall always be remembered by his contemporaries. He was a phenomenal presiding officer who carried the Opposition with him. He did not shy away from consulting political adversaries and bringing them on board to resolve contentious...