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Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi, on Monday, the last day of proceedings in the old Parliament building, recalled crucial junctures in India’s democratic history that the building was witness to: from Jawaharlal Nehru’s ‘tryst with destiny’ speech on August 15, 1947, to the economic reforms that the P V Narasimha Rao government initiated in 1991, and to the repealing of Article 370 on August 5, 2019.
Initiating the discussion in the Lok Sabha (LS) on the 75 years of parliamentary journey, from the Constituent Assembly to now, the PM peppered his speech with historical decisions. These included the creation of three new states, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, and Jharkhand in 2000, the victory in the Bangladesh war under Indira Gandhi’s leadership, as well as unsavoury incidents such as the ‘cash-for-votes scandal in 2008 or the proclamation of Emergency.
The PM thanked the House for its unanimous congratulatory resolution for India hosting the Group of Twenty Summit, recalling how the House had passed a unanimous resolution for the country hosting the Non-Aligned Movement Summit in 1983.
The day-long discussion in the two Houses had Members of Parliament (MPs) from all parties indulging in political point-scoring, especially the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party, over the arrest of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. MPs also flagged the need to reform parliamentary procedures, suggesting it should sit for a minimum of a 100 or more days or increase the LS seats.
The two Houses will meet on Tuesday in the new Parliament building on the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi. MPs have been asked to gather at the old building for a group photo session and then attend a ‘function’ at the Central Hall of the old building.
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Vice President and Rajya Sabha (RS) Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, the PM, and LS Speaker Om Birla will lead the event, which will resolve to make ‘Bharat’ a developed nation by 2047. The LS will sit from 1.15 pm onwards, while the RS will convene from 2.15 pm onwards.
In his hour-long speech on Monday, the PM spoke of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s resignation speech in 1996 and his initiation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and the establishment of a separate tribal affairs ministry. He also credited P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh with economic reforms that put India on a new development path. He spoke of the contribution of a host of political leaders from all ideological hues, such as Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Chaudhary Charan Singh, Ram Manohar Lohia, Lal Krishna Advani, and others, including Communist Party of India’s Indrajit Gupta, who spent 43 years as a member, the longest by any MP.
Amid a demand from across the political spectrum for the Women’s Reservation Bill, the PM said the contribution of women parliamentarians has been on the rise over the years. In his over an hour-long speech in the LS, Modi remembered the journey of India’s democracy and said the last day in this heritage building should be dedicated to the over 7,500 parliamentarians who contributed to proceedings in the building.
“Be it Dalits, the oppressed, Adivasis, Other Backward Classes, or women, every section’s contribution has increased gradually,” Modi said, remarking that of the 7,500 public representatives, the number of women representatives has been approximately 600.
The PM paid tribute to “every brick” of the old Parliament building and said the MPs would enter the new building with “new hope and confidence”.
“Today, we have an opportunity to connect with the past. We are leaving this building with hope for the future. I am confident that as we enter the new Parliament building, we will go there with new hope and confidence,” the PM said. He said the old building will also inspire generations to come.
Leader of the Opposition in RS, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said nothing would be accomplished by changing names and went on to recall how the first PM Jawaharlal Nehru’s ‘inclusive’ approach of involving Opposition parties had led to the laying of a strong foundation for the Constitution.
Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien criticised the government for eroding parliamentary democracy and federalism, pointing out the outstanding dues of the state governments. He also complained that he was not allowed to complete his speech.
