Najma, 4 other MPs get Outstanding Parliamentarian Award

By India News Stream Staff

Aug 01, 2018

New Delhi:Former Rajya Sabha Member Dr. Najma A Heptulla, present Rajya Sabha member Ghulam Nabi Azad, and Lok Sabha Members Dinesh Trivedi, Hukum Narayan Yadav and Bhartruhari Mehtab were today honoured with Outstanding Parliamentarian Award .

They received the honour from President Ram Nath Kovind at a function in the Central Hall of Parliament, which was also attended by Vice-President and Chairman, Rajya Sabha M. Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan and other distinguished figures.

Ms Hheptullah got the Award for 2013, Yadav for 2014, Azad for 2015, Trivedi for 2016 and Mehtab for 2017.

The President in his speech on the occasion said that as parliamentarians, each one of them had added value to the proceedings of the House, and they had done so while maintaining the dignity of Parliament, using their knowledge and wisdom. He emphasized that dignity in discussion and debate, wit and repartee – these qualities in members of Parliament are inspirational for our young people.

Kovind said MPs are not just representatives of a particular party or constituency, they are the trustees of our constitutional ideas, which was the reason the people, especially the poor and the underprivileged, look upon their representatives with great expectations.

The Vice-President in his remark said that conferring of awards on five finest parliamentarians would motivate not only the other members of Parliament but also the members of State Legislatures to set new benchmarks of exemplary parliamentary performance and conduct.

He hoped that this occasion would provide an opportunity for some introspection on the issue of disruption of the proceedings of the House, which has created a negative perception about the members and the functioning of the parliamentary institutions.

Congratulating the awardees, the Prime Minister said that members of Parliament come from the grassroots and are connected with the common people, so they should have sufficient opportunity to articulate their views so that the government is forced to accord priority to their ideas.

The voice of the people belonging to even the far-flung areas – villages and forests – should reach the government through MPs in such a way that the government becomes duty bound to incorporate the aspirations of the people in its plans and programmes.

Modi expressed concern that disruptions and din in Parliament harms not only the work of elected representatives but also are a great loss to the nation.

In her welcome address, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan said that Outstanding Parliamentarian Award instituted by Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) is being conferred on such Members of Parliament as have set high standards of parliamentary traditions and conduct as legislators. She noted with happiness that the five eminent parliamentarians were being included in this list of the distinguished members have left an indelible mark on the proceedings of this sacrosanct institution.

Mahajan said that democratic system is the most refined form of governance wherein discussions, debates and dissent nurture democracy. She, however, emphasised that debate and discussion should be within the ”Lakshmanrekha” of accepted norms and dignity of Parliament.

In their acceptance speeches, the five awardees recounted their political journey and thanked IPG for having selected them for the coveted award.

Secretary-General, Lok Sabha Snehlata Shrivastava read the citations of the awardees.

The Outstanding Parliamentarians Award is a recognition conferred upon the finest parliamentarians for their constructive and meaningful contribution in the parliamentary process, upholding the dignity of the House and setting exemplary precedents.

In 1992, the Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant Memorial Society took the initiative to honour such parliamentarians for their exemplary service to our parliamentary democracy. From 1995 onwards, the Indian Parliamentary Group (IPG) started conferring the ‘Outstanding Parliamentarian Award’ every year to a sitting member of Parliament on the recommendation of an Award Committee and approval of the Executive Committee of the Indian Parliamentary Group.