SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL
AT THE VALEDICTORY FUNCTION OF THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF THE
KERALA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
Thiruvananthapuram, April 30, 2008:
I
consider it a privilege to be here with you today to participate in the
Valedictory function of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Kerala
Legislative Assembly. On this occasion, I would like to extend my
warmest greetings to the people of Kerala. Celebrating democracy is
always a matter of great pride for India.
India has a long tradition of participatory functioning and has
throughout history shown respect for tolerance and living in harmony.
No one can forget that the freedom of India was fought and won with the
weapons of truth and non-violence. That was a remarkable achievement in
history. As an independent nation we chose a Parliamentary form of
Government. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, said, and I quote, "in
Parliamentary Democracy, there is the Legislature to express the voice
of the people; there is the Executive which is subordinate to the
Legislature and bound to obey the Legislature." Unquote. The experience
of democratic polity of independent India, especially its ability to
manage a multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-lingual and
multi-ethnic society is drawing global attention.
Kerala can proudly claim a long history of Legislative bodies dating
back to 1888, when Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, the Maharaja of
Travancore, established a Council for the purpose of making laws and
regulations, which was a path-breaking event for progressive measures
in due course. The two other regions of Kerala state - Cochin and
Malabar - also had Legislative bodies from very early days. Thus, when
the state of Kerala was formed in 1956, the parliamentary tradition had
already taken deep roots over here. Today, the State has its 12th
Legislative Assembly, which was constituted on 13th May, 2006.
The Kerala Legislature has given birth to many trail blazing
enactments. The debates in the Assembly have reverberated with demands
for social justice as well as for the rights of the downtrodden and
women. Over the years, the Legislature of Kerala has successfully
served as an instrument for political democracy enabling social change.
The progressive socio-economic measures like land reforms, labour
welfare, debt relief and re-orientation of education initiated by this
body have helped in ushering in a modern era of inclusive growth in the
State.
The Kerala Assembly has also been a pioneer in the field of introducing
innovative practices. It made a unique contribution by introducing the
Subject Committees in 1980 as instruments of Legislative control over
the Executive. Ever since their formation, the Standing Committees of
the Kerala Legislative Assembly have done commendable work and their
reports have helped a great deal to ensure administrative
accountability and to support the weaker sections of society. In fact,
when the Parliament of India introduced the system of Standing
Committees, the Kerala innovation was one of the precedents taken into
consideration.
Today, as I speak in this august house - the fountainhead of democracy
- I call on each one of you to continue to play your role of a sentinel
of democracy. The Legislature is the pivot of a democratic system and
is all pervasive in the life of the nation.
Today, India is regarded as a leading light in the comity of democratic
nations of the world. What happens in the legislature, how it works,
how productive are its debates and deliberations have a decisive role
in shaping the destiny of the State and the country. That being so, it
is the duty of the enlightened society and the electorate to constantly
watch, and critically analyse the legislative business for
strengthening the democratic process. It is incumbent on all members of
the Legislative bodies of India to maintain order and decorum in the
House. This is important for maintaining the stature, dignity and
respect for democratic institutions.
The next challenge for this Assembly is to look at taking the State
towards economic, technological and industrial development. I believe
that from the platform of its
progressive human development agenda, it would be possible for Kerala
to make a big leap forward into the future. The Legislative Assembly
could look at steps that encourage the growth of the key sectors of the
economy which have the potential of propelling a dynamic growth
trajectory for the State. Among these are the possibilities of Kerala
becoming the "knowledge hub" of the region, as also the tourism and
health sectors. Tourism is already becoming a major contributor for the
development of the State. Kerala has a rich cultural heritage of dance
and music as well as the traditional system of medicine - Ayurveda.
Their preservation and promotion are important for the State. The
health care sector in Kerala has gained international acclaim. But now
it faces new challenges that require new solutions. The Legislature
should become the harbinger to provide an enabling environment,
facilitating innovation and development in these priority sectors.
In the last five decades, Kerala has progressed well in the fields of
education, health and empowerment of women. Keralites, whether living
abroad or in India, and working either as administrators, doctors,
engineers, scientists, nurses or construction workers have earned
praise from everyone. Kerala can be justifiably proud that it is the
first state of India where the sex ratio is above the equality ratio
with 1058 females per 1000 males. A favourable sex ratio has to be
attained and maintained in all states for a healthy demographic growth
of the country.
I am also happy to learn that women in Kerala are at the forefront of
many fields including education, medicine, judiciary and engineering
amongst others. I would encourage that empowerment of women be made a
main policy plank in all the states. At the same time it is a matter of
serious concern that female infanticide is often practiced in several
parts of the country. It has to be curbed at any cost and the girl
child should get equal opportunity to grow and develop in the society.
Kerala leads the country in literacy levels and has 100% literacy
status. Being the most literate Assembly of India, the Kerala Assembly
should look at measures that will provide continuous encouragement and
fresh opportunities to the younger generation especially in the fields
of modern education, employment and entrepreneurship. Students and
youth are the future of the country and it is important to prepare them
for the ever growing challenges of the future. Living in a globalised
world would require that they learn how to deal comprehensively with
issues like economic growth with equity, social development,
environment protection and preservation of our heritage and age-old
values.
The Legislative Assembly could look at addressing social evils and
issues confronting society today. The growing incidents of the use of
alcohol, drugs and suicides are alarming. Another issue of concern,
particularly for Kerala, is the growing population of the elderly.
Here, I would like to mention that elders in our society need special
care and we must look into their needs and well-being. Those who have
spent their entire life productively should not face despair and
desperation in the twilight years of their lives. Effective legislative
measures to address these issues that impede the healthy development of
individuals and a stable society would have to be done on a priority.
In facing the challenges of future, the participation of people is of
great significance. In fact, for the implementation of the welfare
schemes of both the Central Government and the State Governments, the
active involvement of people both as beneficiaries and stakeholders is
necessary. The Legislature should look at how to facilitate the
implementation of socio-economic development programmes in a
transparent way, within a stipulated time-frame and in a manner that it
contributes to increasing the overall productivity and progress of the
State. The element of promoting a responsive administration is the need
of the hour. In a democracy this is possible only through greater and
effective participation of people in governance at all levels. The
strengthening of the Panchayati Raj institutions is a way to achieve
this objective. The State Legislature has to respond more pro-actively
to it.
I am pleased to note that in connection with the Golden Jubilee
Celebrations of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, an exhibition titled
"Parliamentary Democracy - Our Heritage and Achievements" highlighting
different aspects of the democratic institutions in the State of Kerala
and the various stages in its evolution, has been arranged. This will
be informative for people, in particular for the students and the
youth. It should motivate them to understand their own responsibility
in preserving this rich heritage of democratic processes.
Today, democracy in Kerala rests on the solid foundation of an educated
and well-informed electorate that has accepted a diversity of views. As
we look into the future, it would be realized that elected bodies would
need to be institutions that are constantly evolving and responding to
new demands in an environment of rapid technological advancements. The
Legislative Assemblies, including that of Kerala, will need to look at
how to meet the growing aspirations and expectations of the people,
especially of the younger generation, to cope with the changing demands
of the society without hampering our cherished social and cultural
values. How can legislative business be made more effective, and more
result-oriented? What improvement can be brought about in the
legislative business for example in a critical subject like budget and
its utilization? How can performance audit be implemented? How can
there be greater transparency and accountability in Government's
functioning? How can Right to Information be used effectively for
better governance? There are several issues that require evaluation.
Legislature is an important platform for articulating concerns and
difficulties faced by the people and to get redressal. I am confident
that Kerala Legislative Assembly will respond to issues regarding the
welfare of the people in an innovative and a pragmatic manner. While
working for the people, the words of Mahatma Gandhi - man becomes great
exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his
fellow-men - should be your guide.
I conclude by conveying my good wishes to all present here, and hope
that the Kerala Legislative Assembly can be a model and pioneer in
building a modern India.
Thank you,
Jai Hind.
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