Banking - Yojana

Generated by PDFKit.NET Evaluation
GOLDEN JUBILEE OF INDIAN PARLIAMENT
Nation Stands Test.of Democracy.
RCR~amani
The need of the' hour is not to change the form of
gQl!ernmentbut U)orkunited tofight the evils ofpoverty,
illiteracy and social inequity perpetuated by an
anachronistic caste system, which'is unfortunately being
supported by some political forces as vote banks. On
reflection, it would be clear that the malady is not the
system but the people behind the system.
THE DAWN of the new
rn~llennium marked more
mIlestones than one for
Indian democracy. For one, it
marked the GoldenJubilee of our
Republic, which came into being
on January 26,1950. For another
it also marked the 50th anniversary
of Parliament of independent
India. The Provisional Parliament
that came into being on January
28, 1950, was not dissolved but
ceased to exist under Article 379
of the Constitution after holding
five sessions till March 1952. Both
Houses of the present Parliament
were constituted and summoned
on April '17, 1952 following the
First General Elections of
independent India, held with
universal franchise, giving voting
rights to all citizens aged 21 and
above. A function to
commemorate the GoldenJubilee
of Parliament washeld at the newly
built, state of the art Library
Complex of Parliament House on
April 17,this year.
Much'water has flowed down the
Ganges during these 50 years with
the country witnessing stirring
events. It saw as many as thirteen
General Elections, givingbirth to as
many Lok Sabhas. From Congress
to Janata; from the National Front
to the United Front and finally to
the National Democratic Alliance,
the elections have thrown up single
party government to multi-party
coalitions.
The eventful period has seen as
many as twelve Prime Ministers -
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Lal
Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi,
Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, Rajiv
Gandhi, Vishwanath Pratap Singh,
Chandra Shekhar, p.v. Narasimha
Raq, H.D. Deve Gowda, Inder
Kumar Gujral and Atal Bihari
Vajapyee.
Holding of thirteen General
Elections is in itself a splendid
testimony to the vibrancy oflndia's
democracy. There was, however, a
period of 18months of Emergency
during 1975-77when fundamental
rights were stispended. By
amending the Constitution, the life
Mr R C }{