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Challenge is to never lose sight of establishing a vibrant, healthy democracy: Patil

      President Pratibha Devisingh Patil on Sunday urged the country’s lawmakers to never lose sight of the fact that they were duty bound to continuously meet the challenge of establishing a vibrant and healthy democracy for the generations that were to come. In a speech delivered on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Parliament of India in the Central Hall, Patil said: “The big challenge is for democracy to proceed towards being a vibrant but healthy democracy. It is, therefore, necessary to walk ahead carefully, with determination, so that the main aim of establishing a progressive and healthy democracy is never lost sight of.” Expressing her happiness over participating in a historic function, Patil listed some key factors that could help the nation’s lawmakers in deciding the way forward for the people of the country. She said: “We must constantly improve our systems, and remove all corrupt and other malpractices from our electoral processes, and from our society. Parliament is the repository of the will of the people. Therefore, people's growing aspirations and expectations need to be translated here into policy decisions and necessary legislation.” She further said: “Discussions can be difficult and divergent, but yet solutions have to be found through discussions in Parliament, and resolved through established parliamentary practices.” Reminding one and all that Parliamentarians serve the people, she recalled Mahatma Gandhi’s poem entitled, 'A Servant's Prayer' in which he said: "As a humble servant and a friend of the masses, may we never part from those whom we wish to serve". Patil said that democracy, in the true sense of the word, also means a shared responsibility. “Democracy can survive, flourish and grow when there is respect for all stakeholders, and for differing opinions, and where institutions of democracy are functioning in harmony in general. Whether it is the legislatures, the judiciary, the executive, or the citizens or the media, they have a role to play, but with responsibility, and they must uphold the Constitution as well as the rule of law,” Patil said. She added: “Democracy can be sustained when there is sensitivity to national interest, social objectives and towards each other.” Recalling Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar’s words, she quoted him, as saying: "Democracy is not merely a form of government. It is primarily a mode of associated living of conjoint, communicated experience. It is essentially an attitude of respect and reverence towards fellow-men." Democracy, she said, must be participatory. “A major leap forward was the decision taken by the Parliament when it passed the 73rd and 74th Amendments to the Constitution, which provide for elected representatives from different sections of society, including our tribal people, backward classes and also women who form 50 percent of the population, to Panchayati Raj Institutions and Local Urban bodies. This expanded and deepened the reach of democracy at the grass roots level,” she said. “Elections are the foundation stone of any democracy and therefore, the first pillar of any healthy democracy is sound electoral practices. Our Election Commission, as an independent entity, has performed remarkably well in organizing elections of a huge electorate,” Patil said. “Most importantly, we must have unity of purpose. Our ultimate aim is to have development and freedom, while preserving and protecting the age-old values of our Indian culture, and the principles of tolerance and harmony, which reflect on the image of India on the world platform. We must take a call at this juncture, after our journey of 60 years, and resolve to work collectively for this goal through a well-built democracy,” Patil said. She also described as fortunate and an honour that four members of the first Parliament -- Rishang Keishing, Reshamlal Jangde, Kandala Subrahmanyam and K. Mohana Rao -- were present for the 60th anniversary celebrations. While reiterating that democracies of the world were operating in complex situations and under pressures brought on by many reasons, Patil said: “As the world's largest democracy, India can be proud that since winning its freedom and adopting a Constitution, it has continuously walked the path of democracy.” She said that India had proved skeptics wrong, especially those who had doubted whether democracy in such a large and diverse country could possibly survive. “We proved them wrong. Over and over again, repeatedly, in accordance with the Constitution, representatives to parliament, state legislatures and local bodies have been chosen through electoral exercises, which have been fair and open. Our record has been remarkable and there is widespread acclaim about the tenacious manner in which we have adhered to democracy,” she said. Admitting that while people are articulating their demands very vocally and many shades of opinions are emerging, Patil, however, said that there should always be a requirement of finding a balance between various expectations. She said that in a time of fractured mandates, regional aspirations and media explosion, she was confident about India continuing to tread the path of peace, development and progress, through a democratic system of governance, while protecting the sanctity of the institutions established by the Constitution. Recalling Swami Vivekananda’s words: "Great things have been done in the past in this land, and there is both time and room for greater things to be done yet", Patil said: “I hope that our chariot of democracy, surmounting every difficulty and challenge, will carry forward the nation towards progress and prosperity.”

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