I am grateful to the Hon'ble Speaker for his kind invitation to be here this morning and for the opportunity to meet all of you and to take part in today's proceedings.

May I, at the outset, take this opportunity to congratulate all the honourable members of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha on their election to this august House. I am indeed happy to know that the present Assembly has as many as 25 women members, which is higher in percentage than that of the Fourteenth Lok Sabha.

The Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, with three decades of experience in conducting Training and Orientation Programmes in parliamentary procedures and practices, is now widely recognised as one of the premier parliamentary training institutes of the world. One of the important activities of the Bureau has been to provide the members a forum to familiarise themselves with the various parliamentary and procedural aspects, the operational dynamics of our parliamentary institutions and also to learn from the rich and varied experience of some of our distinguished parliamentarians. As such, I am quite pleased to be part of the first ever Orientation Programme being organised by the Bureau for the benefit of the members of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha.

Friends, Bihar has had a glorious past. Cities like Vaishali, Rajgiri, Bodhgaya and Nalanda occupy a pre-eminent position in Indian history. It was in Bodhgaya that Prince Siddartha got enlightenment and became the Buddha, the Enlightened One. Rajgiri is the place where Lord Buddha lived in the 6^th century B.C. and delivered some of his most enlightening sermons. It is also the place where Lord Mahavir had spent several years of his life. Vaishali is the birth place of Lord Mahavir while Nalanda had flourished as a centre of learning. Ancient Bihar was the centre of the mighty Mauryan Empire that had its sway over large parts of India.

In modern times too, Bihar has been playing an important role in our national affairs. It has produced some of our very illustrious national leaders who have left an indelible imprint of their personality on our national fabric. The first President of India, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, hailed from Bihar; so did Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan and Babu Jagjivan Ram. Indeed, the list of eminent personalities from Bihar who have distinguished themselves in diverse sectors of our national life is a long one.

It is indeed a privilege and a great honour to be a people’s representative. But this privilege carries with it onerous responsibilities as well. A legislator’s primary duty is to be sensitive and responsive to the problems and concerns of his constituents. He has to give voice to their hardships and grievances by raising them on the floor of the Legislature so that the Government can take appropriate measures for their redressal. He is the link between the people who have elected him and the Legislature, of which he is a member and between the people and the Government on the other. It is the legislator to whom the ordinary citizen turns to for help in times of crisis; and it is he who has to often intercede on their behalf and has to bring people’s problems directly before the policy planners and decision makers.

When one files a nomination paper in an election, be it for Parliament or Vidhan Sabha, one implicitly gives an undertaking to the people that if elected, he or she will try to be their worthy representative and will make endeavour to serve the cause of the people and the nation honestly, sincerely and to the best of his or her ability. When the voters cast their votes, they express their hopes and aspirations that through the electoral process, the country will make progress and the peoples' problems will be solved by their representatives. Thus, there is an express undertaking by an elected representative to his or her electorate and through them to the nation that he or she will discharge their duties to the best of his or her ability. Membership of the House does not make the elected representative a superior class of person and his success depends on the assumption of responsibility to serve the people and the nation to the best of the Member's capacity. To do so one has to be true and faithful to the principles of Parliamentary Democracy and has to be a committed and dedicated Member of the House and the member will have to be an honest participant in the process of nation building.

The people choose their representatives not for enjoyment of perquisites only. The membership of the House and the status it confers cannot be and should not be used for personal benefit. Nothing should be done or said which may raise any suspicion about the bonafides of a member. We should similarly say or do nothing which raises a question mark about the efficacy of the system of Parliamentary Democracy. When we take oath or make affirmation under the Constitution, and enter the House, we take up on ourselves the responsibility of maintaining the basic structure of our Constitution, of which supremacy of the Parliament and of the Legislature is one of the most important ones. Total transparency and honesty of purpose in the discharge of the functions is the acid test for all legislators and I appeal to all of you to say or do nothing which will, in any way, impinge either on the dignity and standing of your House or in any way shake the peoples’ confidence in their elected representatives or in the system of Parliamentary Democracy itself.

To play a meaningful role as legislators, we must understand the place of a Legislative Assembly in our polity. The Constitution of India contemplates it as an important instrument of socio-economic change. Besides being a representative of the party, a legislator represents the voice of the people on the floor of the House and it is his duty to intervene to speed up the implementation of policies and programmes meant for the welfare and betterment of the common masses. The Council of Ministers is accountable to the legislators, who on their turn are accountable to their electorates - the ultimate masters. Therefore, they must constantly relate to them and ascertain their urges and aspirations and endeavour to fulfil them. Gandhiji once said, and I quote:

It is an illusion to think that the MLAs are the guides of the voters. Voters do not send representatives to the Assemblies in order to be guided by them. On the contrary, they are sent there loyally to carry out the people’s wishes. The people, are, therefore, the guides, not the MLAs. The latter are servants, the former masters. Unquote.

To be useful members of the Legislature, it is essential particularly for those elected for the first time, to familiarise themselves with the various parliamentary and procedural concepts, the operational dynamics of our parliamentary institutions and also to learn from the rich and varied experience of some of our distinguished parliamentarians, who are here with you at this Programme.

Since a member enjoys the confidence of the constituency he represents, he should play an important role in creating positive public awareness on various problems being faced by his constituents. Members can play a positive role in mobilizing people on vitally important issues like illiteracy, water conservation, deforestation, child labour, female foeticide, child marriage, casteism and communalism, etc. Each one of you represent about two lakhs of voters and has the responsibility, individually and collectively with the other members of the Vidhan Sabha, to shape the destiny of the third most populous State of our country. Once elected, you do not only represent those who have seemingly voted for you but your entire constituency. Therefore, you have got the great honour and responsibility of representing the whole constituency. Of course, as politicians we are guided by our respective party's manifesto and policies but there are a large number of issues of development and public welfare, which transcend all political barriers and we should work jointly for the benefit of the people, the State and the country.

I would like to emphasize here that a legislator’s performance in the House depends on how seriously he identifies various social and economic requirements of his constituents, what strategies he employs to reconcile individual aspirations with the wider goals of society and the nation, and how forcefully he articulates them on the floor of the House. It is his vision, initiative and expertise that would help him in harmonizing the varied urges and aspirations of his electorate in a purposive manner.

For being an effective legislator, you have to feel the pulse of the people. Not only a sound understanding of a wide range of issues is important, but you should also develop an aptitude to grasp and comprehend various issues that come up for deliberations on the floor of the House. It may not be possible for an individual member to intervene on every subject which comes before the House. You should be well-prepared before you participate in any debate. You should have the ability to forcefully and logically present the facts and figures in your speech and distinguish the relevant from the irrelevant. Avoid verbosity and make your presentation lucid and to the point. You needn’t be an expert on all subjects or even on any subject, but a certain level of general awareness is expected of you and an in-depth knowledge of some subjects will certainly help you in making your contributions more effective. Developing some degree of expertise in subjects of your choice should, therefore, be pursued from the beginning.

It is essential for members to be well conversant with the Rules and Procedure of the House regarding conduct of business. Rules provide a number of procedural devices available to the members to raise various issues in the House. One has to be sincere and hard working and should also seek and utilise opportunity to raise issues in the House, for which it is essential to have a sound understanding of rules. It is only when members get well acquainted with the rules of procedure that members get confidence and their participation in the proceedings of the House become effective and meaningful.

The Members should fully realise the importance of the Question Hour. It is one of the important privileges of a legislator to ask questions of the Executive for ensuring the accountability of the Executive to the Legislature. It is a sacred duty for the Members not to barter away this privilege for any consideration other than the larger and transparent interest of the constituents and that of the State as a whole. It is of crucial importance that the legislators individually and the House collectively should be able to utilise the opportunity provided through the device of putting Questions to hold the Executive accountable to the people effectively. Members should desist from demanding the suspension of the Question Hour on frivolous grounds.

In addition to the business of the House, legislators get ample opportunities to participate effectively in the Committees. The Committee work offers scope for positive and meaningful contribution to an industrious member. The role of Committees is as important from the viewpoint of surveillance, as for the opportunity it provides for the individual legislator. Membership of the Committees calls for some degree of specialisation among members in areas of interest to them. Work in the Committees can also help them in developing expertise and proficiency in the techniques of inquiry into the complex working of the Government Departments. Therefore, members should fully involve themselves in the Committee work, and I can assure you that the experience in Committees will be highly satisfying and rewarding. In my experience, I have seen that the members generally act in a non-partisan manner while functioning in the Committees.

If I may suggest to the new Members, it is always extremely helpful to watch the performance in the House of established Legislators. I remember as a new Member in Lok Sabha, by sitting quietly in the House I tried to understand the nuances of the functioning of the Parliament and also tried to learn how to articulate one's views on different subjects and how rules can be utilized for ventilating the grievances of the people and to seek redressal of the same. Even if you are not able to participate, it is always advisable to remain present in the House and watch the performance of well-known and leading members, which provides a lesson in itself.

It is important to remember that parliamentary practices, procedures and conventions are all meant to provide for orderly and expeditious transaction of business. The imperative of maintaining discipline and decorum in the House and the observance of rules, conventions and etiquette can hardly be over-emphasised. The greatness of our legislative institutions lies in the fact that they are representative bodies of the largest working democracy in the world. That being so, the content and the quality of debates that take place in the Parliament and the Legislative Assemblies should be of a high order befitting their status as people’s institutions.

In a Parliamentary Democracy both the Ruling Party and the Opposition have important roles to play. The right to dissent is a cardinal principle of parliamentary democracy. That being so, discussions in the House should be well-reasoned and constructive. There may be issues that agitate the minds of the members and naturally they want to bring these to the notice of the House. Trying to raise matters without the permission of the Chair or interrupting the listed business of the House militates against accepted parliamentary norms. House proceedings cannot be conducted effectively, unless the members show due respect to the authority of the Chair and to his rulings. Frequent adjournments of the House and unruly behaviour by members create a negative impression in the minds of the people, particularly when proceedings in many Legislatures are now being telecast live. It does not behove a people’s representative to indulge in unruly behaviour or to use unparliamentary language on the floor of the House. It would reflect badly, if the Legislature is not able to function for days together because of frequent adjournments. Such incidents create a wrong impression on the younger generation in particular, in the process, the image of the representative institution also suffers and ultimately, the people will lose faith in the system of Parliamentary Democracy itself. Dissent is a recognized democratic expression, but it should be expressed within the contours and parameters of parliamentary devices. Parliamentary democracy is based on the premise that the minority accepts the decisions of the majority while the majority respects the views of the minority.

As I mentioned, the Opposition has an important role to play in Parliamentary Democracy. As a matter of fact, parliamentary system operates better when there is a vigilant and responsible Opposition. The Members of the Opposition should be astute enough to raise the issues of the people, if any policy or action of the Government, according to them, is against the interest of the people but surely opposition cannot be only for the sake of opposition. As it is said that in a Parliamentary System an Opposition is a Government in waiting. It is entitled to articulate its programmes and policies as is the Government, but when National issues and issues of great importance come up, it is expected that the House as a whole should act in a non-partisan manner, if it is consistent with the people's rights and interest.

An important quality required in a Legislator is the habit of listening.  Your willingness to listen to the others' point of view, especially that of your opponents is the best test case for  your own democratic credentials.  You listen to others' views without interruption and then refute them, if you want to, with cogent reasons. Don't ever forget that democracy is a system of alternatives - of alternative Parties, alternative policies, alternative principles, alternative approaches and alternative leaders.  Effective functioning of the parliamentary system enjoins upon us that we display a very high degree of tolerance of other peoples’ and Parties’ views and principles.  Tolerance is a basic tenet of democracy.  Gandhiji once said, and I quote:

Evolution of democracy is not possible if we are not prepared to hear the other side.  We shut the doors of reason when we refuse to listen to our opponents or, having listened, make fun of them.  If intolerance becomes a habit, we run the risk of missing the truth. Unquote.

This holds especially true of our Legislatures in today’s context when we have many political parties represented in the House, the compulsion of coalition politics and the like.

As you all know, the Presiding Officer is the custodian of the rights and privileges of the members. The Chair endeavours to transact the business of the House through the rules of procedure, established conventions, traditions, etc. The Chair represents the dignity of the House and that being so, it is imperative that members show utmost respect to the Presiding Officer. If the Legislature has to transact business in a smooth and efficient manner, the Chair needs unstinted cooperation from all sections of the House.

Friends, you are fully aware of the developmental challenges being faced by the State of Bihar. I am informed that Bihar Vidhan Sabha, on an average, meets for about 30 to 35 days in a year, and, as such, the time available to the members is very limited. Of course, it is for you to decide whether there should be sittings for longer periods. Therefore, all members should use the time of the House constructively and purposively to highlight issues and areas that would provide the much-needed impetus to propel the State to the forefront of development. In order to transform Bihar’s social and economic landscape, it is essential that developmental issues are brought to the centre stage of political discourse. This calls for moving away from a narrow focus on political gains to making development the yardstick and benchmark of good and responsive governance.

I am sure each one of you is fully conscious of your onerous responsibility and will strive to face the many challenges that confront the State of Bihar. In Shri Nitish Kumarji, you have a very committed and devoted Chief Minister, endowed with considerable administrative acumen. With the collective contributions from all of you, the State of Bihar can grow and succeed in providing an acceptable quality of living to the people. As people’s representatives, each one of you has the responsibility to help realise the developmental potential of this wonderful State.

I understand that in the various Sessions that are to follow, you will have an opportunity to interact with eminent parliamentarians, legislators and parliamentary functionaries. I trust that this Orientation Programme will be of great help to all of you, especially the newly elected members. I wish you all the very best in all your endeavours.

Friends, recently the Members of Lok Sabha had a very sad experience when they took the decision to expel ten of their colleagues for reasons you are fully aware of. I hope such occasion will not recur again. All elected members of either of the Parliament or the Assembly should strictly adhere to the norms of exemplary behaviour and no one should be able to point a finger at any elected member. We have chosen ourselves to be the servants of the people and thereby of the nation and we shall not only be untrue to the oath or affirmation to our Constitution but we would be acting against the people and the nation as a whole, if there is any questionable conduct on our part. Let the glory of our country and our Constitution be not sullied and let the responsibility imposed on us with great hopes and expectations by our great freedom fighters and our Leaders, most of whom suffered great hardships and many also gave up their lives so that we may enjoy the fruits of freedom, be fully and honestly discharged by us. That is the least we owe to our people and the nation. I am sure, all of you will discharge your duties and functions as legislators in a manner in which not only Bihar Vidhan Sabha but the whole country will be proud of.

With these words, I have great pleasure in inaugurating this Orientation Programme for the newly elected members of the Bihar Vidhan Sabha.

Thank you.