Guwahati, Apr 11 (PTI) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday said laws should be made after thorough debate and discussion, incorporating the needs of aspirational sections of the society.
He also suggested that public representatives across the country should refrain from raising petty political issues during Question Hour in parliament rather than talking about matters of national importance.
Inaugurating the 8th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (India Region) Conference at Assam Legislative Assembly, Birla said the primary responsibility of legislature is to fulfill hopes of the people.
Talking about B R Ambedkar and Mahatma Jyotirao Phule, the Lok Sabha Speaker said India’s policies and programmes should be in the direction of achieving the goals set by founding fathers of the constitution. “Laws should be made after thorough debate and discussions, incorporating the needs of the aspirational sections of the society,” he underlined.
Calling for active participation of the youth and women in democratic processes, Birla said democratic institutions, from panchayat to parliament, should keep the youth and women at the centre of policy making. “This will ensure that ideas and vision of youngsters are used to make the administration more transparent and accountable,” he noted.
The Speaker also observed that the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his comprehensive action on education, heath, infrastructure and other areas are remarkable steps in this direction.
Discussing about the country’s democratic setup, he said Indian democracy is vibrant and strong, and a guiding force to other democratic countries. Echoing similar sentiments, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said democratic values are “integral parts of the Indian way of life”.
“Democratic institutions are flourishing in India since ancient times and our reforms exemplified the true democratic values and traditions which continued in our society ever since,” he said.
In modern democracies, Sarma said people expect a lot from elected representatives.
“People want the lawmakers to be their voice, which bestows responsibilities on them to address the fundamental issues affecting people’s lives as well as fulfilling their dreams and aspirations,” he said.
Speaking at the same conference, acting chairperson of CPA, Ian Liddell-Grainger, MP (UK) enumerated several path-breaking initiatives of the association and hoped that the deliberations at the conference will help the entire commonwealth to respond to the challenges being faced by them in a more effective manner. Speakers from various legislative assemblies, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh Narayan Singh and other dignitaries also attended the conference.
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