Guwahati, April 11 : “India has a long and cherished democratic tradition. The principle of democracy originated from the Vedas and after the Vedic Period, the description of small republics is found in which people participated together in the decision-making process related to the administration.”
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made this observation while speaking at the inaugural programme of the 8th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), India Region Conference, held at the Assam Legislative Assembly here on Monday.
Sarma viewed that in-depth deliberations at the CPA on a wide range of issues would help prepare a roadmap for furthering the democratic tradition.
“By working together and learning from each other, we can constantly improve our democratic practices and systems. We need to work towards that goal to meet the aspirations of our citizens and celebrate the democratic spirit of our great country,” he said.
Sarma further said that to make democracy a guiding force in the polity, the ancient Indians coined the terms Sabha and Samiti, which represented two democratic institutions of the bygone era.
“Both these institutions are mentioned in the Rig Veda and Atharva Veda. In these institutions, decisions were made after the discussion with the king, ministers, and scholars at that time. This shows how politics at that time revolved around the democratic principles. People used to settle decisions together at the Sabha and Samiti with good intent. To arrive at a decision, people of different ideologies were divided into various groups and decisions were taken after mutual consultation”, the chief minister observed.
He also underlined the rich heritage and democratic practices of Assam Legislative Assembly and said that over the years the state Assembly “unceasingly raised the voice of the voiceless, stood with the weakest among the weak, debated all important issues with zeal and zest and steered the state through thick and thin”.
Highlighting the long history of the Assembly, he said that many political stalwarts were once members of the House who enriched the proceedings of the Assembly.
“Considering the present day needs and to cope with the changing times, the Assam government took the initiative to construct a state-of-the-art Assembly building with all modern facilities and the new building is expected to be completed by December 31, 2022,” he said.
Earlier, Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla inaugurated the CPA, India Region Conference, which was participated by Speakers and Deputy Speakers along with chairpersons and deputy chairpersons from across State Legislatures and Councils of CPA and members of CPA Executive Committee, Members of Parliament and Members of the Assam Legislative Assembly.
The conference is being hosted by CPA Assam State Branch and Assam Legislative Assembly.