Through the third eye: How a 92-year-old veteran, Rishang Keishing became a Congressman

Congress leader from Manipur, Rishang Keishing, is the only sitting MP who was also a member of the first Lok Sabha. But this 92-year-old veteran entered the first and third Lok Sabha as a Socialist Party MP, and has an interesting tale on how he became a Congressman.

In 1964, the Socialist Party leader in Parliament, Raj Narain, asked party MPs to disrupt President S Radhakrishnan's address to the joint Parliament sitting for not speaking in Hindi. While the rest of the MPs agreed, Keishing dissented saying Hindi should not be forced on anyone.

Keishing's unhappiness with the Socialists also coincided with the Chinese aggression which made, according to him, a large section in his border state feel their safety would be better protected by a national party.

So, Keishing met PM Nehru at his Parliament office and expressed his desire to join the Congress. Nehru called in his parliamentary affairs minister and enrolled Keishing as Congress associate member on the spot. Keishing went on to become a four-time Congress CM.