A screenshot of an archival photograph of the Parliament house under construction in New Delhi.
Speech by the President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil on the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Parliament of India |
Following is the text of the Speech by the President, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil On the Occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Parliament of India at the special function in Central Hall of Parliament:
“I am very happy to participate in today`s function which celebrates a very significant event in the history of free
As the world`s largest democracy,
However today, democracies of the world are operating in complex situations. Pressures are developing on account of many reasons - demands for development are louder, people are articulating their demands very vocally and many shades of opinions are emerging. There is always the requirement of finding a balance between various expectations. There are now fractured mandates. Governments are mostly coalitions and legislatures are composed of many parties. There are regional aspirations as well. The last decade has also seen an explosion of the media. Hence, democracy now functions in the midst of various new scenarios, which are internal as well as those emanating out of complex international situations, in a world that is more integrated and inter-dependent. Against this background,
Elections are the foundation stone of any democracy and therefore, the first pillar of any healthy democracy is sound electoral practices. Our Election Commission, as an independent entity, has performed remarkably well in organizing elections of a huge electorate. However, we must constantly improve our systems, and remove all corrupt and other malpractices from our electoral processes, and from our society.
Parliament is the repository of the will of the people. Therefore, people`s growing aspirations and expectations need to be translated here into policy decisions and necessary legislation. Discussions can be difficult and divergent, but yet solutions have to be found through discussions in Parliament, and resolved through established parliamentary practices. Parliamentarians serve the people. In this connection, the words of Mahatma Gandhi in his poem entitled, `A Servant`s Prayer` are very important. He said and I quote, "As a humble servant and a friend of the masses, may we never part from those whom we wish to serve". Unquote
Democracy, in the true sense of the word, also means a shared responsibility. Democracy can survive, flourish and grow when there is respect for all stakeholders, and for differing opinions, and where institutions of democracy are functioning in harmony in general. Whether it is the Legislatures, the Judiciary, the Executive, or the citizens or the media, they have a role to play but with responsibility, and they must uphold the Constitution as well as the rule of law. Democracy can be sustained when there is sensitivity to national interest, social objectives and towards each other. As Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar said and I quote, "Democracy is not merely a form of Government. It is primarily a mode of associated living of conjoint, communicated experience. It is essentially an attitude of respect and reverence towards fellow-men." Unquote
Again, democracy must be participatory. A major leap forward was the decision taken by the Parliament when it passed the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution, which provide for elected representatives from different sections of society, including our tribal people, backward classes and also women who form 50 percent of the population, to Panchayati Raj Institutions and Local Urban bodies. This expanded and deepened the reach of democracy at the grass roots level.
Most importantly, we must have unity of purpose. Our ultimate aim is to have development and freedom, while preserving and protecting the age-old values of our Indian culture, and the principles of tolerance and harmony, which reflect on the image of
ऐक्यं बलं समाजस्य तदभावे स दुर्बलः।
which means, unity is the strength of any society and society is weak without it.
Until now,
YSK
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