The Hindu : National : 'MLAs must be receptive to views of others'

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 22, 2004

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National

'MLAs must be receptive to views of others'

By Our Staff Correspondent

BHOPAL, JUNE 21. The Lok Sabha Speaker, Somnath Chatterjee, has said that democracy draws its strength from tolerance and emphasised the need for an open-minded approach towards the ideology and principles of different political parties as well as individuals.

Mr. Chatterjee, who was the chief guest, said this at the inaugural session of the three-day training workshop for MLAs at Vidhan Sabha here today

The people's representatives should be receptive towards the views of others, especially those from the Opposition. No one should forget that democracy was a system of alternatives, he said. "In a way, it is a system of alternative parties, ideologies and leaders."

Mr. Chatterjee quoted Mahatma Gandhi who once said: "it would not be possible for democracy to progress if we shall not be prepared to hear the point of view of others. We end up shutting the doors of logic and reasoning when we refuse to listen to what the others have to say and make fun of them."

He said difference of opinion was an accepted form of democratic expression but it should always remain within the bounds of decency and parliamentary behaviour.

Expressing concern over the growing tendency to disrupt parliamentary proceedings, he said that this not only led to waste of time but also lowered the image of parliamentary institutions.

The Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister, Uma Bharti, said the senior members had given her the opportunity to speak and had heard her with full attention when she was elected to Parliament for the first time in 1989.

Ms. Bharti said that the people's representatives should be cautious while talking to the electronic media, because any "fresher" could become bigger than the politician as an anchor or presenter and could destroy what had been achieved politically over the years in just a minute or two.

She urged the MLAs to follow the example set by Mr. Chatterjee in public life and said that they should resolve that they would not resort to debates that are sub-standard or indulge in arguments devoid of logic and facts.

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