Most Respected Rashtrapatiji,

Hon’ble First Lady,

Hon’ble Chief Minister,

Hon'ble Speaker, Kerala Legislature,

Hon’ble Leader of Opposition,

Hon’ble Minister for Law, Culture and Parliamentary Affaris,

Hon’ble Deputy Speaker, Kerala Legislature,

Priyappetta Niyama Sabha Saamajikare,

Priyappetta Sahodaree Sahodaranmare,

Ellaavarkkum Ente Namaskaaram.

It gives me great joy and pride to preside over the inauguration of the Festival on Democracy, held as part of the Diamond Jubilee of the Constitution of the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The presence of our Hon’ble Rashtrapatiji, who has kindly consented to inaugurate the programme, makes this occasion truly historic.  On behalf of the people of Kerala, let me extend a warm and cordial welcome to our Hon’ble Rashtrapatiji. 

Let me at the outset, compliment the Kerala Legislative Assembly and its Speaker Shri P. Sreeramakrishnan for organizing a series of national level conferences touching upon the various components that form the fabric of a healthy democracy.

As all of are aware, no democracy in the world is truly perfect and so it is only natural that every democracy corrects and improves upon itself. When we dissent and voice our concerns, we are addressing the failings of our democracy, only to strengthen it further. The Kerala Legislative Assembly, which has an envious record of legislations made for the welfare of the people has taken another step in the right direction by organizing this Festival on Democracy, which seeks to empower the marginalized sections of society by acquainting them with the true spirit of Democracy.

Like the Parliament, the Legislature too is akin to a university, where each member has to be like a student, diligent in preparation and presentation. To highlight issues that concern the people, Members have to prepare by studying documents in depth and by gathering information through constant interactions.  A society which is very conscious of the issues it confronts, holds very high expectations about the Legislators. The task of each Legislator is to rise up to these expectations through systematic work, especially in matters of development.

As a former Judge of the Supreme Court who, on behalf of the “Constitution Bench”, gave the verdict on the constitutional validity of the MP Local Area Development Funds, I have observed with great satisfaction that many of our people's representatives are taking a greater role in development activities.

Yet often, we hear people lamenting the fall in the standards of democratic institutions and more importantly in the growing disregard for procedure and convention in such bodies. It may be true that newer issues need to be confronted through novel modes of protest and dissent.  But, such protests cannot ignore the basic dignity of the democratic institution nor can they hamper the constitutional rights of the Members, no matter whether they rule or sit in the opposition.

A legislature has a well defined process, which we cannot undermine in the name of democratic activity. Legislators have an obligation to set high standards of conduct for future members, who may be watching their actions on television. It is here that the idea of working towards a more sustainable, creative and vibrant parliamentary process gains great relevance.

It is truly befitting that the Kerala Legislative Assembly, which is famous for several path breaking legislations is seeking to set an example by creating in society, awareness about the need to adhere to high standards of legislative conduct.  After all, the greatest celebration of a Democracy is when every ordinary citizen respects democratic values and cultural diversity, stands up for one's legitimate rights and does not succumb to sectarian or communal thought. Our task is to empower our people to rise to such levels of thought and action so that we can truly celebrate our democracy.

To conclude, I sincerely hope that the sessions which target the democratic empowerment of Weaker sections, Women, Youth and the Media would convey a strong message on the high standards that we intend to bring into our democracy.  Let us together utilize this opportunity of creating a Kerala model in the strengthening of democracy.

With these words, I request our Hon’ble Rashtrapatiji to kindly inaugurate Kerala’s Festival on Democracy.

Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal

Nanni / Jai Hind
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