Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Sunday expressed pain at the manner in which dissent is being manifested by disrupting proceedings of the legislature through sloganeering, display of placards, instead of through dialogue and discussions.
Inaugurating the new building of the Assam State Legislature at the State Capital Guwahati, he said public representatives are custodians of the faith of people.
Mr Birla said that designed disruptions are lowering dignity of the House and urged legislators not to treat legislatures as physical buildings, but as sacred places of debates and discussions where problems of the people are solved and the spirit of democracy is strengthened.
He suggested that all members, irrespective of their political affiliations, should try to preserve the dignity and decorum of the legislative bodies.
Reminding that discussions held in legislatures have a profound impact on the general populace, he appealed the law makers to use the legislative forums for fulfilling hopes and aspirations of people.
People’s representatives should use these forums for constructive debates, he said, and observed that “our legislatures should become vibrant centres of discussion so that governance is accountable and transparent.”
He counselled that it is the responsibility of the members of all parties, ruling and the opposition, to run the House with dignity.
Dedicating the new Assembly Building to the people of Assam, the Lok Sabha Speaker said that it stood as an embodiment of the aspirations of the people and for the welfare of the people.
He lauded the fact that the diversity of the North East India has been accommodated in the new building and believed that the new Vidhan Sabha building will take Assam’s resolve for development towards fulfilment and witness the rise of a self-reliant Assam.
Speaking about the transition of the legislature from the old Assembly building to the new, he paid homage to several great personalities who have made a major contribution to the development of Assam and enhancing its pride.
He expounded that this occasion was the culmination of the efforts of almost a century and “we should be grateful for their immense contribution and must draw inspiration from their life and works.”
Touching upon the history of the democratic process in Assam, Mr Birla said that the old building of the Legislative Assembly stood as a testament to the democratic journey of Assam. It has been witness to many transformative laws which were the outcome of discussion and dialogue.
He said while the old building was a witness to the formation of several states of the north eastern region which were carved out of Assam from time to time, the move of shifting the State Capital from Shillong and consequently, the legislative Assembly first to Dispur and then to Guwahati holds a special significance in Assam’s democratic history.
Drawing a parallel to the recently inaugurated New Parliament Building, the Lok Sabha Speaker appreciated that the new Assam Legislative building was not only a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat but also an embodiment of the new self-reliant Assam.
The new building built for modern requirements using the latest technology is equipped with the latest amenities and boasts of state-of-the-art facility but at the same time exhibits facets of diversity of culture exhibiting Assam’s rich heritage.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma; Assam Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary; Ports, Shipping and Waterways and Ayush Minister Sarbananda Sonowal; Minister of State for Petroleum and Labour and Employment Rameswar Teli, Assam Deputy Speaker Numal Momin, Members of Parliament and members of Assam Legislative Assembly were present.