Thiruvananthapuram, April 27, 2017: The Kerala Legislative Assembly on Thursday marked the 60th anniversary of the first full sitting of the First Kerala Assembly, recalling the occasion with a sense of nostalgia.
The commemorative sitting was held in the old Assembly Hall attached to the Secretariat, where the Assembly had held its sessions till 1998.
Technically, the first sitting of the First Kerala Assembly took place on March 16, 1957, when members were sworn in with pro tem Speaker Rosamma Punnoose presiding. However, the House first convened to transact regular business on April 27, 1957, a day now observed as Legislature Day.
When the Assembly shifted its sittings to the new Legislature Complex on June 29, 1998, the Left Democratic Front (LDF) was in power — as it is today. Fewer than 20 members of the Tenth Assembly continue to serve in the House, making the occasion a nostalgic return for them. For newer members, it was an opportunity to witness how proceedings were once conducted in the relatively small old Assembly Hall, where the Speaker, legislators, the press, and visitors sat in close proximity.
Speaking on the occasion, Speaker P. Sreeramakrishnan observed that the colonial character of the police had yet to change, and that the necessary administrative framework and legislation to address this were still evolving. “People are still afraid to approach the police,” he said.
Describing the Assembly as a school of democracy, the Speaker noted that legislators must strive to reclaim what Kerala had lost over the past six decades in terms of various development projects.
Recalling the milestones achieved by the Assembly, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said that the strength of democracy lay in decentralisation, an area in which the Kerala Assembly had taken the lead through legislation such as the District Administration Act.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said that no other State could match Kerala’s achievements on the legislative front. He pointed out that the Subject Committee system introduced by the House had later been adopted by the Lok Sabha in the form of standing committees.
Acknowledging that the Opposition must play a constructive role, Mr. Chennithala said the government should consult it on policy matters and other key issues to build consensus. Political pluralism, he added, was the essence of democracy.
He also emphasised that the House must evolve to give shape and vibrancy to the aspirations of the younger generation.
Later, the House discussed the Malayalam Language (Compulsory Language) Bill and referred it to the Subject Committee before adjourning for the day. The next sitting is scheduled for Tuesday at the Legislature Complex.
The session began with Question Hour, though calling attentions and submissions were not taken up. There was no Zero Hour either. The Opposition, which had protested during the previous two sittings over issues including remarks by Minister M. M. Mani against Pembilai Orumai, refrained from raising those matters on Thursday.