Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Saturday said that India could successfully fight the social and economic challenges of COVID-19 because of the collective efforts of the 130 crore people.
The Speaker, who took part on the second day of the Basti Mahotsava, said the festival represents the diversity and cultural mosaic of India and it is a confluence of the country's arts, culture and economy.
He remembered freedom fighters of Basti who took part in India's freedom struggle and hailed their valour and their fight for protecting the motherland.
The Speaker said democracy in the country has a long history and did not come after Independence.
"Our democracy has successfully addressed aspirations of our people from all sections of the society," he said.
According to a Lok Sabha secretariat release, the Speaker said every citizen should make it a habit that whatever they do should contribute towards nation-building and for making democracy stronger and more accountable.
"Unlike several other countries, India could successfully fight the social and economic challenges of COVID-19 because of the collective efforts of the 130 crore people. Our motto should be to make our country and our democracy stronger and more vibrant," he said.
The Speaker also lauded the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India self-reliant.
The Speaker invoked Lord Ram, Guru Vashisth and Sant Kabir to describe the history, culture and heritage of Basti.
"He also remembered Raja Zalim Singh, Devraha Baba, eminent writer and historian of Hindi literature Ramchandra Shukla and recalled their contributions in strengthening the composite culture of the region," the release said.
Birla said the Mahotsava, besides being a socio-cultural event, "is also an opportunity to showcase our products and to expand the market for them".
( With inputs from ANI )
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor