Prime Minister Narendra Modi has underlined that a world full of conflicts and confrontations cannot benefit anyone and this is a time of peace and brotherhood. Inaugurating the ninth G20 Parliamentary Speakers’ Summit (P20) at Yashobhoomi in New Delhi today, he said, a divided world cannot provide solutions to the challenges present before it. He said, this is a time to move forward together for the development and welfare of all. Highlighting concerns over terrorism, Mr. Modi said, terrorism in any form, anywhere and for any reason is against humanity. He also recalled the terrorist attack on the Parliament Building in 2001.
Underlining the age-old democratic legacy of India, Mr. Modi said the country is the largest democracy in the world with a rich history of democratic institutions. He highlighted the role of Sabha and Samiti in the country’s rich democratic history, saying people used to take collective decisions in these institutions. He said India not only conducts the world’s largest elections, but people’s participation in it, is also continuously increasing. Mr. Modi said, its general elections are considered the biggest festival and since independence, India has seen 17 general elections and more than 300 state assembly elections. The Prime Minister said, the 2019 general elections were the largest polling exercise in human history wherein over 600 million voters took part. He said the country has made the election process modern by using technology.
The Prime Minister also talked about increasing women representation in the country and said, the recent decision of the government to provide 33 percent reservation to women in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies will further enrich Parliament’s tradition in the country.
Addressing the delegates, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said the ninth P20 summit represents commitment towards efforts to preserve democratic values, international cooperation and finding solutions to the issues of global importance and current challenges. He said India considers the world as a family. He added that delegations from several countries believe that protecting the environment is not a matter of a single country, it is the responsibility of all the countries.
Our correspondent reports that this two-day event is being organized on the theme of Parliaments for One Earth, One Family, One Future. During this event Speakers, Deputy Speakers and members of Parliament of the various nations are participating along with the Pan-African Parliament.
Today, the first session on Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development Goals-Showcasing Achievements, Accelerating Progress was held. Speakers from Spain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, the European Parliament, Italy, South Africa, and others shared their ideas.
The Second Session based on the theme One Earth, Sustainable Energy Transition-Gateway to Green Future will be held this afternoon, wherein Speakers of Australia, Brazil, UAE, and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman Harivansh will participate. In the evening, delegates will visit the New Parliament House and pay floral tributes at the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the Parliament House complex. Afterward, a dinner will be hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at the old Parliament Building namely Samvidhan Sadan.
