People's Democracy

 Lok Sabha Speaker At Commonwealth Parliamentary Meet

THE country’s politicians cannot but honour the common people’s incontrovertible confidence in parliamentary democracy despite the problems plaguing the country for decades and it is its young generation that can play a most vital role in building up a more vibrant dynamic and focussed parliament by means of principled policies. So said CPI(M) parliamentarian and Lok Sabha speaker, Somnath Chattarjee, on January 15, in response to the crowded civil reception accorded to him at Agartala Town Hall by the state capital’s municipal council. Incidentally, on his arrival at Agartala on January 15 afternoon to inaugurate the North Eastern Conference of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Union, he was welcomed at Agartala airport by chief minister Manik Sarkar.

The civic reception programme was marked with a massive attendance, with the audience spilling out of the jampacked hall. The organisers were well prepared for this eventuality and had arranged, through close circuit camera, for video projection of the programme on a screen outside.

The programme was attended by the speakers, deputy speakers and parliamentary affairs ministers of the north eastern states, besides Khagen Das, Bajuban Riyan and Matilal Sarkar (parliament members from Tripura) and Tripura’s urban development minister Badal Chowdhury. Agartala municipal council chairman Sankar Das read out and then handed over the citation to Somnath Chattarjee while Badal Chowdhury presented him with memorabilia.

Having thanked the town’s people iIn response to the facilitation, Somnath Chattarjee said parliamentary democracy is pivoted on the paramountcy of electors’ rights and the government is therefore obliged to give an account for each of its work and expenditures to the legislature consisting of the elected representatives.

The live telecast of parliamentary proceedings is in accordance with the fundamental right of the electors to watch their representatives in action. The overall faith of the people in parliamentary democracy is reflected in the series of changes they have changed governments successively by democratic means instead of rising up in an armed revolt. Such faith of the people is to be honoured by building up a more vibrant vigorous and pro-people parliament. At the same time the country’s common people, especially the young generation, must give up any pessimistic apoliticalism in favour of principled and positive policies for the sake of the country’s progress.

Speaking on the north east including Tripura, Chattarjee said it is the prolonged regional imbalance in the country’s development and allocation of development funds that had caused the problems plaguing the north east and the entire country. He underscored the outstanding cultural and mental level of the region’s population, especially the tribals, and heartily hailed the determination and cooperation of the people and state government in Tripura towards peace and progress in the teeth of tremendous odds.

Addressing the felicitatory function, Badal Chowdhury eulogised Chattarjee’s robust role throughout his long parliamentary career against any ravages on democracy and the common people’s prerogatives, anywhere in the country including Tripura. As Lok Sabha Speaker too, he has been vigorously upholding the flag of democracy.

Chowdhury also expressed hope that at a time the country’s parliamentary democracy is being devalued due to several circumstances causing a severe crisis of confidence, especially among the younger generations, a competent leadership would go a long way in restoring the place of pride the country’s parliament had once attained in the international arena. (INN)