SPEECH BY HER EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA, SHRIMATI PRATIBHA DEVISINGH PATIL, AT THE VALEDICTORY FUNCTION OF THE GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF THE KERALA LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY

Thiruvananthapuram, 30th April 2008

I consider it a privilege to be here with you today to participate in the Valedictory function of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Kerala Legislative Assembly. On this occasion, I would like to extend my warmest greetings to the people of Kerala. Celebrating democracy is always a matter of great pride for India.

India has a long tradition of participatory functioning and has throughout history shown respect for tolerance and living in harmony. No one can forget that the freedom of India was fought and won with the weapons of truth and non-violence. That was a remarkable achievement in history. As an independent nation we chose a Parliamentary form of Government. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, said, and I quote, "in Parliamentary Democracy, there is the Legislature to express the voice of the people; there is the Executive which is subordinate to the Legislature and bound to obey the Legislature." Unquote. The experience of democratic polity of independent India, especially its ability to manage a multi-cultural, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-ethnic society is drawing global attention.

Kerala can proudly claim a long history of Legislative bodies dating back to 1888, when Sree Moolam Thirunal Rama Varma, the Maharaja of Travancore, established a Council for the purpose of making laws and regulations, which was a path-breaking event for progressive measures in due course. The two other regions of Kerala state - Cochin and Malabar - also had Legislative bodies from very early days. Thus, when the state of Kerala was formed in 1956, the parliamentary tradition had already taken deep roots over here. Today, the State has its 12th Legislative Assembly, which was constituted on 13th May, 2006.

The Kerala Legislature has given birth to many trail blazing enactments. The debates in the Assembly have reverberated with demands for social justice as well as for the rights of the downtrodden and women. Over the years, the Legislature of Kerala has successfully served as an instrument for political democracy enabling social change. The progressive socio-economic measures like land reforms, labour welfare, debt relief and re-orientation of education initiated by this body have helped in ushering in a modern era of inclusive growth in the State.

The Kerala Assembly has also been a pioneer in the field of introducing innovative practices. It made a unique contribution by introducing the Subject Committees in 1980 as instruments of Legislative control over the Executive. Ever since their formation, the Standing Committees of the Kerala Legislative Assembly have done commendable work and their reports have helped a great deal to ensure administrative accountability and to support the weaker sections of society. In fact, when the Parliament of India introduced the system of Standing Committees, the Kerala innovation was one of the precedents taken into consideration.

Today, as I speak in this august house - the fountainhead of democracy - I call on each one of you to continue to play your role of a sentinel of democracy. The Legislature is the pivot of a democratic system and is all pervasive in the life of the nation.

Today, India is regarded as a leading light in the comity of democratic nations of the world. What happens in the legislature, how it works, how productive are its debates and deliberations have a decisive role in shaping the destiny of the State and the country. That being so, it is the duty of the enlightened society and the electorate to constantly watch, and critically analyse the legislative business for strengthening the democratic process. It is incumbent on all members of the Legislative bodies of India to maintain order and decorum in the House. This is important for maintaining the stature, dignity and respect for democratic institutions.

The next challenge for this Assembly is to look at taking the State towards economic, technological and industrial development. I believe that from the platform of its progressive human development agenda, it would be possible for Kerala to make a big leap forward into the future. The Legislative Assembly could look at steps that encourage the growth of the key sectors of the economy which have the potential of propelling a dynamic growth trajectory for the State. Among these are the possibilities of Kerala becoming the "knowledge hub" of the region, as also the tourism and health sectors. Tourism is already becoming a major contributor for the development of the State. Kerala has a rich cultural heritage of dance and music as well as the traditional system of medicine - Ayurveda. Their preservation and promotion are important for the State. The health care sector in Kerala has gained international acclaim. But now it faces new challenges that require new solutions. The Legislature should become the harbinger to provide an enabling environment, facilitating innovation and development in these priority sectors.

In the last five decades, Kerala has progressed well in the fields of education, health and empowerment of women. Keralites, whether living abroad or in India, and working either as administrators, doctors, engineers, scientists, nurses or construction workers have earned praise from everyone. Kerala can be justifiably proud that it is the first state of India where the sex ratio is above the equality ratio with 1058 females per 1000 males. A favourable sex ratio has to be attained and maintained in all states for a healthy demographic growth of the country.

I am also happy to learn that women in Kerala are at the forefront of many fields including education, medicine, judiciary and engineering amongst others. I would encourage that empowerment of women be made a main policy plank in all the states. At the same time it is a matter of serious concern that female infanticide is often practiced in several parts of the country. It has to be curbed at any cost and the girl child should get equal opportunity to grow and develop in the society.

Kerala leads the country in literacy levels and has 100% literacy status. Being the most literate Assembly of India, the Kerala Assembly should look at measures that will provide continuous encouragement and fresh opportunities to the younger generation especially in the fields of modern education, employment and entrepreneurship. Students and youth are the future of the country and it is important to prepare them for the ever growing challenges of the future. Living in a globalised world would require that they learn how to deal comprehensively with issues like economic growth with equity, social development, environment protection and preservation of our heritage and age-old values.

The Legislative Assembly could look at addressing social evils and issues confronting society today. The growing incidents of the use of alcohol, drugs and suicides are alarming. Another issue of concern, particularly for Kerala, is the growing population of the elderly. Here, I would like to mention that elders in our society need special care and we must look into their needs and well-being. Those who have spent their entire life productively should not face despair and desperation in the twilight years of their lives. Effective legislative measures to address these issues that impede the healthy development of individuals and a stable society would have to be done on a priority.

In facing the challenges of future, the participation of people is of great significance. In fact, for the implementation of the welfare schemes of both the Central Government and the State Governments, the active involvement of people both as beneficiaries and stakeholders is necessary. The Legislature should look at how to facilitate the implementation of socio-economic development programmes in a transparent way, within a stipulated time-frame and in a manner that it contributes to increasing the overall productivity and progress of the State. The element of promoting a responsive administration is the need of the hour. In a democracy this is possible only through greater and effective participation of people in governance at all levels. The strengthening of the Panchayati Raj institutions is a way to achieve this objective. The State Legislature has to respond more pro-actively to it.

I am pleased to note that in connection with the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, an exhibition titled "Parliamentary Democracy - Our Heritage and Achievements" highlighting different aspects of the democratic institutions in the State of Kerala and the various stages in its evolution, has been arranged. This will be informative for people, in particular for the students and the youth. It should motivate them to understand their own responsibility in preserving this rich heritage of democratic processes.

Today, democracy in Kerala rests on the solid foundation of an educated and well-informed electorate that has accepted a diversity of views. As we look into the future, it would be realized that elected bodies would need to be institutions that are constantly evolving and responding to new demands in an environment of rapid technological advancements. The Legislative Assemblies, including that of Kerala, will need to look at how to meet the growing aspirations and expectations of the people, especially of the younger generation, to cope with the changing demands of the society without hampering our cherished social and cultural values. How can legislative business be made more effective, and more result-oriented? What improvement can be brought about in the legislative business for example in a critical subject like budget and its utilization? How can performance audit be implemented? How can there be greater transparency and accountability in Government's functioning? How can Right to Information be used effectively for better governance? There are several issues that require evaluation. Legislature is an important platform for articulating concerns and difficulties faced by the people and to get redressal. I am confident that Kerala Legislative Assembly will respond to issues regarding the welfare of the people in an innovative and a pragmatic manner. While working for the people, the words of Mahatma Gandhi - man becomes great exactly in the degree in which he works for the welfare of his fellow-men - should be your guide.

I conclude by conveying my good wishes to all present here, and hope that the Kerala Legislative Assembly can be a model and pioneer in building a modern India.

Thank you,

Jai Hind.