India’s democratic spirit enriched modern constitutional era: Harivansh Narayan Singh

New Delhi, Aug 24 Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha Harivansh Narayan Singh said on Sunday that democracy in India is visible not only in scriptures but in lived institutions, and India’s democratic spirit preceded and enriched the modern constitutional era.

Singh said that Mahatma Gandhi himself said, “We are people of democratic culture,” and Dr B.R. Ambedkar echoed this in his call to “Educate, Agitate, Organise.”

Addressing the second session on the first day of the All India Speakers’ Conference 2025 at the Delhi Legislative Assembly, the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman observed that Abraham Lincoln’s famous words — “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” — had already found voice centuries earlier in (Chanakya) Kautilya’s maxim that the king’s happiness lies in the happiness of his subjects.

Thus, India’s democratic spirit preceded and enriched the modern constitutional era, he said.

The Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman stated that this legacy came alive in modern institutions through the election of Vithalbhai Patel in 1925 as the first Indian Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly.

Defeating the government’s nominee, Patel established the independence of the legislature and affirmed the authority of the Speaker’s office as a seat of dignity, impartiality, and fairness.

Singh underlined that Patel’s example continues to inspire legislative bodies across the country.

He added that the Delhi Assembly building has been witness to the voices of Mahatma Gandhi, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal, Motilal Nehru, Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, and others whose words against injustice and colonial repression echoed in the chamber.

Singh recalled that the debate on the Rowlatt Act, where Malaviya spoke for four hours, and the struggles born here, gave rise to movements like Non-Cooperation and Civil Disobedience. These, he said, were not just legislative debates but sparks that ignited mass resistance.

The British Colonial government passed the "Rowlatt Act" in 1919, which gave power to the police to arrest any Indian person on the basis of mere suspicion.

The Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman called upon all presiding officers, Speakers, and legislators to carry forward this long tradition of morality-based democracy.

He said, “This Assembly has witnessed the voices of those who shaped the destiny of India. To carry forward their dream is not only our responsibility but our sacred duty.”

“We need lawmakers to ensure that as India marches towards 2047, democracy is not reduced to procedure or partisanship, but continues to embody morality, accountability, and service to the people,” Singh added.

Krishan Lal Middha, Deputy Speaker of the Haryana Legislative Assembly, A.N. Shamseer, Speaker of the Kerala Legislative Assembly, Raman Singh, Speaker of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, Abdul Rahim Rather, Speaker of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly and Rahul Narewar, Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, also addressed the gathering.

Other Speakers included Vasudev Devani, Speaker of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Ram Shinde, Chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, and K. R. Ramakrishnam Raju, Deputy Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

Speakers and Deputy Speakers reflected on the rich traditions of legislative functioning in their respective states and shared valuable perspectives on the evolving role of presiding officers in strengthening parliamentary democracy.

Earlier on Sunday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the first-ever All India Speakers’ Conference 2025 at the Delhi Legislative Assembly.

The two-day national event marks a historic moment as it commemorates the centenary of Vitthalbhai Patel’s election as the first Indian Speaker of a legislative body.

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