On Monday, September 18, the special session of parliament began with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla congratulating the nation on the success of the G20 Summit under Bharat’s Presidency in New Delhi on 9-10 September.
“The success of G20 Summit under India’s Presidency has filled every Bharatiya with pride,” the Speaker said. He appreciated the Prime Minister’s vision of making Bharat’s G20 Presidency a people-run event. Speaker Om Birla highlighted and lauded the achievements of the G20 Summit including the New Delhi Declaration, inclusion of African Union in the G20, giving prominence to the voice of the Global South among many others.
“Bharat emerged as voice of peace and restraint in the world during G20 Summit,” he said.
The LS Speaker concluded his remarks on 75 years of Bharat’s Parliamentary Democracy by remembering Ganesh Vasudev Mavalankar, the first Speaker of the Lok Sabha of independent India. Following this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his address by recalling several momentous periods in the history of the Indian Parliament.
PM Modi recalled his first steps inside the Parliament
Prime Minister Modi, while delivering his last address in the old Parliament building, recalled the day he first entered the Parliament as an MP. He said, “Today, when we are going to leave this Parliament and head to the new Parliament, we are seeing that it is the opportunity to express the respect that has been given to the emotions of the common Bharatiya.”
“When I became the member of Parliament for the first time, and entered this building as an MP, naturally, I bowed down at the entrance of the Parliament and entered this temple of democracy. That moment was filled with emotions for me, I couldn’t have imagined. But it is the power of Bharat’s Democracy, it is the example of the devotion of the common citizen for the Bharatiya Democracy that a child from a poor family working at a railway station could enter the Parliament. I would never have imagined that the nation would bestow so much respect, so many blessings, and so much love on me. I had never thought,” the Prime Minister said.
A temple of Democracy built by Bharatiyas
PM Modi recalled Bharat’s 75 years of journey as a parliamentary democracy. He said that while the decision to build this structure was that of the foreign rulers, the work put into actually building it was done by Bharatiyas.
“Before independence, this Parliament was the place of the Imperial Legislative Council. After independence, this was re-identified as the Parliament building. It is true that the decision to build this structure was that of foreign rulers. But we can never forget that the sweat put into building this Parliament was that of my people, the hard work was that of my people and the money too was that of my people,” PM Modi said.
“Although we will be entering the new Parliament building, but this old Parliament, too, will continue to give inspiration to the coming generations. This is a significant chapter in the golden journey of the Indian Democracy which, through this building, will continue to introduce the world to how Democracy flows in India’s veins,” he said.
PM Modi congratulated Indian scientists in his last address at the old Parliament
Recalling Bharat’s historic Chadrayaan-3 success, the Prime Minister congratulated the Bharatiya scientist community at large for their continuous dedication and achievements across sectors.
“The world all over is talking about the achievements of Bharat and that too with pride. This is the result of our combined initiatives over 75 years. Not only Bharat, but the entire world is rejoicing the success of Chandrayaan-3. A new face of India’s capabilities, which is associated with advancement, science, technology, with the capabilities of our scientists, the power of 140 crore citizens, it is going to create a new impact on the nation and the world. This Parliament and through this Parliament, I would once again like to congratulate the nation’s scientists and their colleagues.”
Role of India’s federal structure in the success of G20 Summit
The Prime Minister thanked the Parliament for the successful culmination of the G20 Summit. “I believe you have increased the pride of the nation’s citizens. I thank you,” PM said.
“The success of G20 is the success of 140 crore citizens. It is Bharat’s success. It is not a person’s success, it is not a party’s success. Bharat, with its federal structure, its diversity, hosted more than 200 summits across 60 locations with various governments; this has left an impact on the world. This is worth celebrating.”
He recalled that it was during India’s Presidency that the African Union (AU) became a permanent member of the G20. “I cannot forget that emotional moment when the AU was declared (a member) and the AU President said to me that ‘it was such a moment in my life that I might cry while speaking.’ You can imagine how it was in India’s destiny to fulfil such big aspirations.”
The Prime Minister also took a jibe at doubters saying that naysayers were at it again doubting India’s Presidency but were proven wrong again. “Many people have this nature to doubt Bharat. This has been going on since India got independence. This time too it was being said that ‘there will be no declaration, it is impossible’, but it is Bharat’s power that the declaration was released, that too unanimously, with a road map for the future,” the PM said.
The Prime Minister welcomed the Speaker’s announcement for a P20 Summit where Speakers of Parliaments of the G20 nation states will meet ahead of the conclusion of India’s Presidency at the end of November this year.
PM Modi remembered 2001 terrorist attack on the Parliament
PM Modi also recalled the 2001 terrorist attack on the Parliament and paid tribute to the bravehearts who died in a bid to protect the nation.
He said, “The terrorist attack was not only an attack on the Parliament building but in a way, an attack on the soul of our Democracy. This nation can never forget that day. Today, I bow down to those who took the bullets in order to save the Parliament and the Parliamentarians. They are not amongst us, but they made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Tribute to freedom fighters
The Prime Minister recalled the bombings by revolutionary freedom fighters Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt in the Central Legislative Assembly against the British Raj. He said, “This is that Parliament where once Bhagat Singh and Batukeshwar Dutt with their bravery shook the British Raj with a bomb blast.”
The Prime Minister added, “The echoes of that bombing will never let such people sleep who want the good for the nation.”
PM recounted historic events that took place in the Parliament
The Prime Minister paid tribute to former Parliamentarians in his address and recounted the momentous decisions undertaken in the Parliament in the past 75 years. He pointed out that all communities across the nation have been represented in the Parliament. He said that women too have played a key role in elevating honour of the Parliament.
The Prime Minister recalled former member of Lok Sabha Indrajit Gupta for his 43-year-long tenure as an MP. He also remembered Samajwadi Party MP Shafiqur Rahman saying that he is serving the Parliament even at the age of 93. He added, “It is the power of Bharat’s Democracy that 25-year-old Chandrani Murmu became the member of this Parliament.”
“Debate and discussion are something we have all exchanged and even initiated, and yet we have all participated like members of a family. Despite all the differences, we don’t leave with any bitterness. Even when we meet years after leaving Parliament, we don’t forget our colleagues and our time together. This has been my experience,” the PM said.
The Prime Minister recalled the terms during the pandemic as well. “Despite the threat of COVID-19, our Parliamentarians attended the House proceedings and did their duty. We did not let the nation’s work come to a halt. We maintained social distance, had to test repeatedly, wear masks, seating arrangements were changed, timings were changed, the members did it all so as to keep working for the nation”, he added.
The PM paid a special tribute to former Parliamentarians who continued their connect with the Parliament and fellow MPs even years after their tenures. “I have seen that those who must have served 30-35 years ago kept visiting the central hall without fail just like how people have a habit of visiting temples. This is how this place attaches you to itself, and many such leaders, who are not in service today, they continue to make visits once in a while. This is the effect of this Parliament.”
PM Modi also recalled Jawahar Lal Nehru’s first speech post-independence and the dark chapter of Emergency during Indira Gandhi’s tenure. “This is the very Parliament where Democracy was born again,” he said.
PM Modi recounted the unanimous assent given by the Parliament to the formation of Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Jharkhand but also remembered the violence in the course of demand for the formation of Telangana.
He also remembered former Prime Ministers Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Manmohan Singh, Narsimha Rao, and VP Singh, and their contributions. The Prime Minister also expressed gratitude to former President Ramnath Kovind and current President Droupadi Murmu for their guidance during his tenure.
While mentioning the historic decisions like revocation of Article 370, passing of One Nation One Tax, One Rank One Pension, and other such schemes, PM also appreciated and recognised the work done by the media in covering Parliament.