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Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj on Sunday called for greater representation of women in Parliament. Speaking duing the special session of Parliament to mark the 60th anniversary of its first session, 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. During her address, 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. President Pratibha Devi Singh Patil will address members of both Houses in the Central Hall of Parliament at 5.30 p.m. She will also release five-rupee and 10-rupee coins and publications of the secretariats of both the Houses on the auspicious occasion. 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.

Sushma Swaraj calls for greater representation of women in Parliament