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The 60th anniversary of the first session of Parliament ended as scheduled at around 4:30 p.m.. The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha held special sittings today. The sitting was peppered with peeves and some excellent oratory, especially from Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, but what prevailed was a salute to India 's parliamentary democracy and the institution of parliament. Both houses passed resolutions asking members to uphold the dignity of parliament. Earlier, cutting across party lines, leaders of various parties, reflected on the completion of 60 years of the parliament on Sunday by terming it a 'momentous landmark' in the history of the world's biggest democracy. Hailing 60 years of the nation's first parliamentary sitting, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Meira Kumar said: “It is only because of the Indian masses, that our parliament and the democratic system have been able to complete this 60 year journey. I congratulate all Indians on this occasion.” Highlighting the importance of the public’s faith in the parliamentary system, Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni urged lawmakers to refrain from actions that undermined democratic values. "On this occasion, it is appropriate for all lawmakers and citizens to introspect on the importance and relevance of the parliament as an institution. More than a billion people have imposed their faith on this institution. They have high hopes from parliament. They want something in return for this faith from a free India for themselves, their families and their future. It is the duty of lawmakers to work for them," said Soni. Echoing similar views, Congress leader Harish Rawat called the parliamentary system 'the soul of India .' "The pride and prestige of the parliament is closely associated with India and its people. The parliament cannot be separated from the democratic system. The democratic and parliamentary system of India is the soul of the nation. We cannot imagine India without this system. Look at our journey in the last 60 years. We were a poor nation that faced immense challenges since we were not self-dependent then. However, we began our journey as a nation under an able leadership and immense self-confidence," said Rawat. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Murli Manohar Joshi underscored the role played by farmers in India 's freedom struggle, and consequently the formation of the parliament. "This parliament was formed because of an intense farmers' struggle. Our farmers had sacrificed a lot during the freedom struggle. India secured independence under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi and other leaders only due to the dedication and sacrifice of the farmers. That is why, we welcome this farmers' congregation that is being held here on the occasion of 60 years of the Indian parliament," Joshi said. Paying tribute to Parliament on completing 60 years of its existance, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said that we must never forget that Members of Parliament (MPs) are the face of democracy. Yadav said: “Most of us never thought that one day we would be sitting here, in this house, reflecting on the face of democracy in India . We should always remind ourselves of that.” “All the people have come here to celebrate this precious occasion. There have been many ups and downs in these 60 years. We rarely discuss the problems of the nation. Let not anything divide us,” he added. Pointing to the absence of former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in the house (the BJP leader is unwell), Yadav said: “"This house misses a person of his stature, and we salute him. (Hum unhe pranam kartein hain)" Looking at Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Yadav said: “ "Dada (Mukherjee) is a senior leader and he has the right to admonish us. We should listen to him. We wish him a long and healthy life." Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Sunday said that India still continues to face the curse of terrorism and insurgency. Jaitley said: " No other country has faced cross-border terrorism as much as we have faced. We still continue to face the curse of terrorism and insurgency. Let us resolve there will be no politics in these issues. We will not only eliminate but sense will be that those who rebel outside the system one day, we will get them within the system." "Social justice, elimination of poverty, healthcare, women's empowerment, these are all greater challenges in the decades to come," he added. Paying tribute to those security officials who lost their lives in the parliament attack in December 2001, Jaitley said: "The last 60 years have seen collapse of many democracies. For a poor country, it is more difficult to sustain a democracy. From poverty, we have come to being a developing nation." "Not only did we survive, we have the distinction of becoming world's largest democracy. We have survived to become a major power in the world. It is a tribute to our parliamentary system that despite divergence, when it come to the call for unity, we all stood up as one nation," he added. He also said that when India achieved independence from Britain 65 years ago, it had many battles on its hands to fight. " We were faced with the challenges of unity among diversity. Prophets of doom wondered if India 's would survive democracy," said Jaitley Describing the Lok Sabha as a "great shock absorber", Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said the house has been able to resolve many problems. Mukherjee said: "Many momentous decisions, including redrawing the boundaries of states, were taken in the lower house. It has functioned as a great shock absorber." He also said that the laws passed by parliament should not be taken lightly by the judiciary. Referring to his own experience in parliamentary politics, Mukherjee said he was not very old in the Lok Sabha, but had been a member of the Rajya Sabha for many years. Mukherjee said despite his limited experience, he was a devoted student of parliamentary practices. Referring to frequent adjournments in the house, Mukherjee said "disturbance in proceedings impinge on the right of the silent majority. Let us try to avoid disruptions". Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj on Sunday called for greater representation of women in Parliament. Swaraj paid tribute to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar by saying that she was proud to see a woman heading the Lower House of Parliament, and wished that statistically, the percentage of women lawmaking representatives goes up from the present eleven percent. Tribute and praise were also showered on former prime minister Indira Gandhi and incumbent Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi for being contributing women members of parliament. Swaraj also said there was a time when newspapers would increase the number of pages by at least two when Parliament was in session, because India wanted to know what their elected representatives were doing in Parliament. That, sadly doesn't exist any more because of what happens in Parliament, she added, apparently referring to the frequency of disruptions and disagreements between both sides of the political divide, as also to the adjustments of coalition politics of the last 18 years. The Leader of the Opposition also said 40 percent of parliamentarians are from rural India . Swaraj said that the only cure for democracy was more democracy. When she finished her speech, there was applause in the house, across party lines. A cultural programme featuring Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Sitarist Debu Chaudhuri, Carnatic vocalist Maharajapuram Ramachandran, versatile singer Shubha Mudgal and Iqbal Khan will light up the evening. India became a Republic on November 26, 1949, but the first general elections were only held in 1951-52. Constituted on April 17, 1952, the Lok Sabha held its first session from May 13, 1952.

Resolution dominates 60th anniversary of first Parliament session