CM Chang
Celebrating 60 years of the Parliament of India, this great Institution we find ourselves in today is indeed a matter of immense pride, honour and happiness. As the leader of the Naga Peoples Front and as the representative from the state of Nagaland, I too extend my congratulations to the people of India on the occasion of their Parliament completing 60 years.
60 years ago when the Parliament first met, there was widespread scepticism, at home and abroad, that a country so diverse and fragmented, could not survive. Popular opinion suggested that India did not have the political, social and educational maturity to survive as a Parliamentary democracy based on the rule of Universal Adult Franchise. It is a hallmark and reminder of the exceptional nature of our past leaders, and above all the belief of the Indian people, that this institution has stood the test of time.
Over the course of its existence the Parliament of India has become an embodiment of the hopes and aspirations of its diverse people. While initially dominated by the elite of India, the Parliament gradually began to reflect the actual reality of the people it sought to represent.
The deepening of democracy has meant that people cutting across social, economic and regional lines now have representation in the Parliament and have a say in the future of this country.
Citizens of this country, who have historically had minimum access to resources, now have a greater stake in the democracy we pride ourselves in. As such it is our responsibility, our duty, as their representatives to ensure that their concerns are brought forward and their demands for a better life of them and their children are fulfilled.
While indeed over these 60 years, Parliament has meant a greater sense of empowerment for the citizens of India, and thus merits celebration, today must also be a moment for introspection. Questions regarding the efficacy of Parliament must not be brushed aside. It is imperative that we understand that this discontentment is result of the fact that the promise of democracy has not brought about positive changes in the life of every Indian, with poverty and deprivation still widespread.
It is essential for us as Parliamentarians to realistic that today must not only be a moment for self-congratulation but rather we must accept that many changes need to be brought about in how we conduct our business here. We must conduct ourselves in a manner that befits an institution as great and glorious as this, for that is what is expected of us as representatives of the people in the world’s largest democracy.
(CM Chang is Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha from Nagaland)
