The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Governor tells MLAs to be voice of the silent majority

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 11, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Governor tells MLAs to be voice of the silent majority

Special Correspondent

WARM WELCOME: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan, Speaker K. Radhakrishnan, Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy, Law Minister M. Vijayakumar and Deputy Speaker Jose Baby receiving Governor R.L. Bhatia on his arrival to inaugurate an orientation pro gramme for legislators in the city on Thursday. - Photo: S. Mahinsha

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Governor R.L. Bhatia has called upon the members of the Kerala Assembly to be the voice of the silent majority.

Inaugurating a three-day orientation programme for newly elected members of the Assembly here on Thursday, the Governor also called upon the MLAs to give expression to the hopes and aspirations as also the frustrations and despair of the multitude regardless of the party and the front to which they belong. He also urged them to maintain the dignity and decorum of the Assembly while engaging themselves in heated debates and arguments, especially so `since the deliberations of the House are now literally transparent to every citizen.''

"Let there be arguments, but let us do it with dignity," Mr. Bhatia said.

He said Kerala could be truly proud of its tradition of progressive and path-breaking legislations and pointed out that the State had set an example for its peers by bringing about radical changes. He noted that the 12th Kerala Assembly, constituted after the last Assembly elections, has as many as 64 new members and said that this added to its uniqueness. "It will do you a world of good if you bear in mind that you are part of a vibrant process that decides the fate of a land and its people, the future of a nation," the Governor told the newly elected MLAs.

Mr. Bhatia reminded the members of the Assembly that their commitment to the Constitution and responsibility to the people are cardinal.

Recalling E.M. Forster's `Two cheers for democracy,' he pointed out that the two aspects mentioned by Forster, namely variety and accountability, are the two main features that make democratic functioning distinct from other systems of governance.

Chairing the inaugural function, Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan called upon the MLAs to remember that their duty is to articulate the needs and aspirations of the common man in the House. Offering felicitations, Leader of the Opposition Oommen Chandy pointed out that the discussions in the House could do with a little more sense of purpose and direction.

Speaker K. Radhakrishnan welcomed gathering and Deputy Speaker Jose Baby proposed a vote of thanks.

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