New Delhi: At a solemn ceremony held at the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Monday, Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia said: “India is the mother of democracy, and realising its dreams is our responsibility.”
He was addressing All India Speakers’ Conference on the occasion of centenary year celebration of the election of eminent freedom fighter, scholar and jurist Vitthalbhai Patel as the first Indian President of the Central Legislative Assembly.
The attendees included Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta, and legislative leaders from across the country.
Scindia emphasised that the Delhi Assembly building is not just bricks and mortar — it represents the living soul of Indian democracy. He credited Vitthalbhai Patel for elevating Parliamentary decorum during the colonial times, thereby laying a robust foundation for democratic governance.
Scindia highlighted India’s democratic model on global platforms such as G20, reinforcing the nation’s identity as a beacon of inclusive governance.
He pointed to the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, enacted under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, which reserves one-third of Lok Sabha and state assembly seats for women.
He described this as a cornerstone of equitable participation — empowering women to lead from Panchayats to Parliament, and from education to enterprise.
Scindia urged the younger generation to uphold democratic traditions, fulfil ancestral dreams, and keep the flame of democracy alive for posterity. Scindia drew a historic thread from Vaishali in Bihar, once the site of the world’s first republic, to modern constitutional democracy.
He underlined that India’s democratic ethos, anchored in ancient tradition, continues to find affirmation on global forums such as the UN General Assembly and G20 summit — where the country’s inclusive model is widely appreciated.
According to documented architectural history, the Delhi Assembly building, completed in 1912, originally housed the Imperial Legislative Council and the temporary secretariat, following the British shift of India’s capital from Calcutta to Delhi.
This century-old Colonial-era structure remains the seat of Delhi’s legislature and is now being considered for transformation into a heritage hub and museum, with plans to preserve its architectural integrity, showcase its historical significance, and open spaces like the old gallows chamber to visitors.
Scindia’s remarks effectively bridged India’s democratic past with its present imperatives—speaking the language of empowerment, youth leadership, and global recognition.
The setting itself—the historic Delhi Assembly—symbolised the continuity of democratic tradition, now poised to open its doors as a place of learning and inspiration for future generations.
(IANS)
