Bengaluru (Karnatka) [India], September 11 : Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Thursday inaugurated the 11th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) India Region Conference at the historic steps of the Vidhana Soudha, Bengaluru.
The three-day conference is being hosted under the theme "Debates and Discussions in the Houses of Legislature, building people's trust, meeting people's aspirations".
In his inaugural address, Birla said that meaningful dialogue and healthy debates in Parliament and State Legislatures strengthen people's faith in democracy, stating, "Dialogue has been an intrinsic part of India's democratic culture for thousands of years and was further strengthened by the Constitution of India ".
Referring to the Constituent Assembly debates, Birla recalled how every word and article was deliberated upon in detail, which made the Constitution inclusive and visionary.
He said that lawmakers should revive the spirit of healthy debate in the Constituent Assembly. "India is the world's largest democracy and its Constitution is the most vibrant one, uniting the nation despite its vast diversity and difficult times ", Birla said.
The Speaker urged all elected representatives to maintain dignity and decorum in the House. He strongly said that disruptions, stalemates and repeated adjournments only hurt democracy and erode public trust. Differences of opinion are natural, but the House must not be held to a standstill. It is through discussion and dialogue that solutions emerge.
Expressing concern over the declining number of sittings in legislatures, limited time for debate and frequent disruptions, Birla stressed the need to strengthen India's culture of debate. He said that the people of India do not expect noise; they expect solutions. Constructive debate leads to better laws, better laws ensure effective governance, and effective governance strengthens people's trust.
Highlighting the role of technology and innovation in deepening democracy, Birla informed about initiatives such as the Digital Parliament App, National e-Vidhan Application (NeVA) and 'Sanskrit Bhasini,' which have made legislative processes more accessible in India's multilingual society.
He said that the proceedings of the Indian Parliament are now available not only in Hindi and English but also in 22 Indian languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi and Assamese, thereby making the institution more inclusive.
It is notable that the CPA is an international platform of nearly 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures. Om Birla serves as the ex officio Chairperson of the CPA India Region Executive Committee. India constitutes the 9th Region of the CPA, comprising 31 State and Union Territory branches.
On this occasion, the Speaker of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly delivered the welcome address. Chief Minister of Karnataka, Siddaramaiah; Chairman of Karnataka Legislative Council; Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Harivansh; Dy. Chief Minister of Karnataka, D. K. Shiv Kumar, addressed the gathering.