संसद रक्षा दिवस ।
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| Listen to Swamiji's Address to the Assembled |
People started assembling from 10:30 am onwards at the site of the demonstration in Jantar-Mantar area. Swamiji arrived at the Kerala Bhavan around 11 am and led the procession of the demonstrators along with Ma Gurupriya-ji.
The demonstrators were carrying placards and banners having appealing slogans denouncing the stalling of the parliament. Swamiji also led the vociferous articulation of the slogan on the banners and placards, primarily “sansad chalao, desh bachao” and “sansad chale, desh badhe”.
Poojya Swamiji took the center stage around 11:30 am along with the 200 demonstrators assembled there. People carrying a number of placards formed a semi-circle around the venue giving wide publicity to the slogan specially created by Poojya Swamiji. The backdrop named some of the 36 participating organizations from across the globe.
With Swamiji’s permission Sri Vinod Tiwari started the proceeding by offering pranams at Swamiji’s and Ma Gurupriyaji’s holy lotus feet and extending a warm welcome to those assembled. He then gave a detailed introduction of Poojya Swamiji to the audience covering various facets of Swamiji’s intensely vibrant and active life of societal contribution.
Around 12 noon, Sri Vipul Maheshwari, a prominent Supreme Court lawyer, representing the chairman of the legal cell of the PHD Chamber of commerce and industries, spoke about the colossal loss of resources and money due to the stalling the parliament. He said that the entire industry is upset with the disruptions of the parliament. He thanked Poojya Swamiji for taking a lead in creating public awareness on this issue. He demanded that the 1st of December be observed as “Sansad Raksha Divas” and become part of the National Calendar.
Poojya Swamiji then commenced his speech, reciting the shloka “Yam shaiva samupaasate Shiva-iti” and “Madiya hridayaakeshe” and then chanted 3 times the auspicious mono-syllable “Om”. Poojya Swamiji gave a detailed background for the demonstration, commemorating the day as the “Parliament Raksha Divas”. He spoke about his anguish at the colossal wastage of Public money due to stalling of Parliament for some account or the other. From 2009 to 2014, the Lok Sabha lost 40% of its time due to stalling. More than 3200 Crores of public money has been wasted between 1991 and 2014.
Swamiji spoke about the PIL filed by an NGO in the Supreme Court seeking guidelines for MPs’ behaviour in the Parliament. The PIL was rejected and hence having no other mode of redress left, Swamiji decided to take to the streets. “Tolerating a wrong was a greater wrong than doing it”, he said. He exhorted the people to expand their minds and hearts to think about the societal welfare and take such events as a tapasya, for it is only through austerity great results are had.
“What is wrong outside, is wrong inside the parliament also. Law-makers cannot be law-breakers”, Swamiji said. Swamiji mentioned that he has written to the President and the speaker seeking an opportunity for addressing a joint session of the Parliament so that a higher assimilative view point can be presented to redress the situation.
Swamiji spoke at length about how the limits of our tolerance are being breached and questioned the need to discuss the issue of Intolerance, while these matters can be legitimately addressed through Indian Criminal Code and Indian Penal Code.
A Representative of the Kashmiri Pandit Organization also spoke, thanking Poojya Swamiji for leading this movement and how vital it is for the country to have not just a parliament but a “constructively” functioning one.
Thereafter Swamiji gave his benedictions and the program concluded. Tokens were distributed amongst those assembled to receive the anna-prasada at a nearby distribution point.
Some of the Slogans chanted and displayed using placards
✻ पार्ल्यामेन्ट चलाआो देश बचाअो । – Run the Parliament, save the country
✻ जनतंत्र मे जनता ही सबसे प्रधान । – In democracy, people are the supreme; Voice of people, the life force of Parliament
✻ संसद मे चर्चा सही, लडाई नहीं । – Parliament a ground for discussion, not field for fight.
✻ कानून बनाने वाले कानून तोड रहे हैं । – Makers of law are themselves breaking law. Vote seekers are deriding the vote givers
✻ संसद चले, देश बढे ।
✻ संसद का अधिकार जनता का वरदान ।
✻ जो बाहर निषेध है, वह संसद में भी ।
✻ संसद का रूकना, प्रगती का रूकना ।
✻ जनता की आवाज सांसद की दिशा ।
✻ जनता मे गति, देश मे उन्नति । – Nation progresses ONLY if Parliament Works
