India's democracy thrives in its diversity: Om Birla

New Delhi: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla addressed the participants of the 36th Parliamentary Internship Programme organized by the Lok Sabha Secretariat in Parliament House Complex on Monday.
The Parliamentary Internship Programme is being attended by 44 participants from 17 countries. Speaking on this occasion, Birla said that democracy and democratic values are our way of life. Observing that India, through its Constitution, has made democracy prosperous, Birla mentioned that our traditions and culture follow democratic norms in all spheres of life. He also said that the founding fathers of our Constitution decided on Parliamentary Democracy to guide the destiny of our people as it is the best form of governance and since then, India has been the guiding spirit of parliamentary democracy for other countries.
Referring to India's diversity, Birla said that our diversity is our strength and our democracy thrives in this diversity. Our Constitution which is the largest written Constitution in the world has held together India's diversity and democracy on the strength of its commitment to democratic ideals. He added that the smooth transfer of power in over 17 General Elections and more than 300 state elections reflects the strength of India's Parliamentary Democracy and its citizen-centric Constitutional System.
Appreciating the training programmes organized by PRIDE, Birla emphasized that learning is a lifelong endeavour and that the exchange of ideas and information along with active discussions leads to greater accountability and transparency in institutions.
He added that debates and discussions help in ensuring that best practices related to Governance and Parliamentary Systems are imbibed by all participants. In the context of Lok Sabha's record productivity, Birla said the high level of debate and discussion in the Parliament has led to massive socio-economic transformation across the nation. Shri Birla urged the participants to share their experiences and best practices in their systems of governance so that the sharing of knowledge and information will further strengthen democratic institutions. (ANI)