Shimla, May 24
Expressing grave concern over frequent disruptions of Parliament and state legislatures, President of India Pranab Mukherjee today called upon political parties to ponder over and find a solution to the problem so that the dignity of the highest democratic forums was restored.

“The three Ds - debate, dissent and decision - are the essence of parliamentary functioning, but of late, a fourth D - disruption - has become dominant, obstructing transaction of business and undermining the importance of the august House.

“It is a small minority forcing their will on all others. Neither are they doing their job nor letting others do their job,” he observed while addressing the members of the 12th Vidhan Sabha on the occasion of the golden jubilee celebrations of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly.

He said dissent was a recognised democratic expression. The cardinal principle of effective functioning of a parliamentary system was that the majority would rule and minority would oppose, expose and, if possible, depose.

“But this should be done within the framework of rules framed by the legislatures themselves. Disruption had no role in a parliamentary democracy and the fourth ‘D’ should be strictly avoided,” he said.

The President said the legislators get their job after begging the people for their votes and gaining their trust. It would not be fair if they did not discharge their responsibilities. He urged leaders of political parties to address the issue and expressed confidence that the Indian political system was capable of finding a solution.

The President complimented the Himachal Pradesh Assembly for holding disruption-free sessions and the fact that it had met for 356 days over the past 10 years spoke well about its functioning.

The President said the completion of 50 years of the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly was a golden event in the history of this august institution. He expressed hope that the state would lead and continue to maintain the highest standards of democratic practice and parliamentary traditions.

The President also released a special cover brought out by the Department of Posts on the occasion. Governor Urmila Singh spoke about the glorious history of the Vidhan Sabha and released the “Who’s Who” of Vidhan Sabha members.

Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said that Himachal Pradesh has, over the past 50 years, emerged as a model of development for the hill states. Its per capita income has increased from Rs 240 in 1948 to Rs 82,000 and the literacy rate had shot up from 7 per cent to 84 per cent.

Speaker BB Butail gave a detailed account of the events which took place in the historic Council Chamber building in which the Vidhan Sabha is housed. Leader of Opposition PK Dhumal urged the President to support the state’s demand for constituting a Himalayan Regiment in his capacity as the Supreme Commander of the armed forces.