Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Parliament or Assemblies are places of debate and discussions, but it is not good if the House is not allowed to function in the name of Opposition for narrow political gain. Shah made the remark three days after the Monsoon Session of Parliament came to an end with little business due to repeated disruptions and adjournments following Opposition protests.
Shah on Sunday inaugurated the two-day All India Speakers’ Conference organised at the Delhi Legislative Assembly to commemorate the 100th anniversary of freedom fighter Vitthalbhai Patel becoming the first elected Indian President of the Central Legislative Assembly. The Home Minister also said that when there is limited debate or discussions in Parliament, the contribution of the House in nation-building gets affected.
“Debate must take place in a democracy. But it is not good if the House is not allowed to function in the name of Opposition for someone’s narrow political gains. The country has to ponder over it, the people have to ponder over it and elected representatives have to ponder over it,” he said.
Shah said all discussions must have some sense and everyone must work towards increasing the dignity and respect of the post of the Speaker. “We should work to offer an impartial platform to raise the issues of the people. The arguments of both the treasury and the Opposition should be impartial. We must ensure that the functioning of the House is carried out as per rules and regulations of the respective House,” he said.
He stressed that protests should be restrained. Symbolic protests have their place, but the emerging tradition of obstructing the House day after day, throughout entire sessions, under the pretext of protests, requires reflection from the public and elected representatives.
He said that when discussions cease in the House, its contribution to the nation’s development becomes significantly limited.
“We must ensure that every legislation, or law, originates from the trust of the people and progresses in that direction. The House is the engine of democracy, and when healthy traditions are established here, national policies are formulated, and laws are crafted in the interest of the nation, the direction of the nation becomes naturally clear,” he said.
Citing the humiliation of the Mahabharata character Droupadi in Hastinapur, he said, whenever the dignity of the House is compromised, the country has seen dire consequences. The Home Minister lauded the democratic tradition of India since Independence and said democracy here has roots so deep that it has not seen shedding of even a single drop of blood during regime changes, unlike many countries where the democratic situation deteriorated over the years.
He said if there is no debate in parliament or legislative assemblies, these would remain lifeless buildings. “The task of expressing views in these buildings is done by all members under the leadership of the Speaker, and only then does it become a living entity, which works in the interest of the country and the State,” he said.
Terming the Speaker as the guardian as well as a ‘sevak’ (servant), Shah said brainstorming is the best way to resolve problems of the people in a democracy. He said the objectives of any law being enacted should always be the welfare of people, inclusive development of the country, ensuring administrative efficiency, internal security and external security of the nation.
Addressing the conference, Shah said that today marks the beginning of the nation’s legislative history. He highlighted that on this very day, the great freedom fighter Vitthalbhai Patel was elected as the Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly, initiating the legislative history led by Indians. He said that this House saw significant contributions from many distinguished and senior leaders of India’s freedom movement as legislators. Mahamana Madan Mohan Malviya remained a member of this House for nearly 20 years. He added that eminent figures like Mahatma Gandhi’s mentor Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Lala Lajpat Rai, and Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das, through their powerful speeches, expressed the nation’s longing for freedom and their aspirations for independence.
He requested the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly to compile the speeches delivered by eminent personalities in this House and make them available in the libraries of all legislative assemblies across the country, so that legislators and today’s youth can understand how the spirit of freedom was ignited in the Delhi Assembly. Shah said that the Delhi Legislative Assembly has organised a remarkable exhibition on the life of Vitthalbhai Patel. He urged that similar exhibitions be held in all legislative assemblies to provide information not only about Vitthalbhai’s life and contributions but also about the history of the freedom struggle to legislators, members of legislative councils, and the youth of the country. He also emphasised the need to enrich the libraries of these Houses.
The Union Home Minister said that on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Vitthalbhai Patel becoming Speaker, it is a significant opportunity for all of us to work towards enhancing the dignity of the Speaker’s position in our respective legislative assemblies. He urged that we establish an impartial platform for the voice of the people in our respective states, ensure fair debates between the ruling and Opposition sides, and ensure that the proceedings of the House are conducted in accordance with the rules of the Legislative Assembly, Lok Sabha, and Rajya Sabha. Shah emphasised that brainstorming is the best medium for resolving public issues in a democracy. Whenever assemblies have lost their dignity, we have had to face severe consequences. He stated that the dignity of assemblies should be such that they serve as a medium for expressing the voice of the people in the interest of the nation.
Shah said that in India, the Speaker is accorded the status of an institution. He highlighted that the most challenging role in the House is that of the Speaker, as they are elected from a political party but, upon taking the oath, assume the role of an impartial umpire. He said that over the 75 years of our Constitution, Speakers across the country’s legislative assemblies and the Lok Sabha have consistently worked to enhance the dignity of the House. He emphasized that impartiality and justice are the two pillars on which the Speaker’s dignity rests. In a way, the Speaker is considered both the guardian and servant of the House. He added that over nearly 80 years, we have deepened the foundations of democracy to profound levels, proving that democracy is ingrained in the very essence and nature of the Indian people. He said that while many countries began as democracies, within a few decades, various forms of governance replaced democracy in those nations.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that after independence, India witnessed several changes in power, with peaceful transitions without a single drop of blood being shed. The primary reason for this is that we have meticulously preserved our legislative process. He added that we have also made timely reforms to our system.