New Delhi: Discrimination on the basis of religion, caste or gender is unacceptable to any “nationalist” and this approach should be followed by everyone, Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu said on Sunday.
Naidu, who is also the Rajya Sabha Chairman, called for a national policy on the need for the Upper House in state legislatures, urging political parties to decide a code of conduct for their members, both inside and outside legislatures.
He made the remarks during the launch of the book ‘Moving On ... Moving Forward: A Year In Office’. The event was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and H D Deve Gowda, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Rajya Sabha’s Deputy Leader of Opposition Anand Sharma.
Noting that the last session was called the ‘Session for Social Justice’, Naidu said it was important to consider and pass legislations that reflect collective commitment to social justice.
“In order to build a more inclusive society, there is a need to move towards ensuring proportional representation of all groups, especially those which have been under-represented until now,” he said.
There is a need to cleanse politics, strengthen parliamentary and governance institutions, give a big push to next level of reforms to harness entrepreneurial and economic potential, harness the energies of young India, and ensure sustainable and remunerative agriculture, Naidu said.
The rich traditions of cultural diversity and nationalism must also be upheld, he added.
“Nationalism, according to me means ‘Jai Ho’ to all the 130 crore people, irrespective of their caste, creed, sex or religion.
“Any discrimination on the basis of religion, caste or gender is not acceptable to any nationalist. I hope we all move in that direction,” Naidu said.
‘Push change quickly’
Talking about political defections, he said the anti-defection laws should be implemented expeditiously in letter and spirit, within three months.
“I know this is absolutely feasible, since I could dispose off the petitions that I received within this time frame,” Naidu asserted.
In his remarks, the Rajya Sabha chairman urged all the political parties to evolve a code of conduct for MPs and MLAs, both within and outside the Houses for effective functioning of legislatures to restore the confidence of people in parliamentary institutions.
Voicing concern over the functioning of legislators in the country, he also urged parties to come together on issues of national importance, transcending political considerations.
Naidu described the book launched on Sunday as a report on his mission and outcomes during the year since he was sworn in as vice president.
“While there is reason for a great deal of celebration in the way the Indian economy is shaping up and how India’s standing in the committee of nations has been steadily growing, I am a bit unhappy that our Parliament is not functioning as it should,” Naidu said.
Election petitions and criminal cases against political leaders should be decided quickly by special benches of higher courts.
He also urged political parties to consider issues concerning women, to ensure their safety and dignity. There should be reservation for women in all spheres, including legislatures, he added.
Remunerative farming
Agriculture is the core occupation of the country, and there is a need for resource allocation to ensure remunerative farming and a robust food security, the vice president said.
During 60 visits to different parts of the country over the last year — including all the seven northeastern states — Naidu said he interacted with the youth, farmers, and scientists, and made an effort to promote public discourse on four key issues.
These were the huge untapped demographic dividend, an effective and enabling ecosystem for remunerative farming in the country, orienting scientific and research efforts to better people’s lives, and enhancing public awareness about the rich Indian heritage and inculcating national pride in “our pluralistic, inclusive, harmonious world view”.
The benefits of reservation should reach everyone, he asserted.
He also expressed disappointment over the frequent disruptions in Rajya Sabha. “I have not hesitated in recording, in the book, my disappointment over the functioning of Rajya Sabha during the first two sessions I presided over.
“My earnest endeavour has been to facilitate informed and dignified debates befitting the stature of this hallowed institution,” he said.
