By Chandan Singh | Page 3 News Worldwide | New Delhi

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla hails preservation of legislative legacy; Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rijiju pitches parliamentary history in universities

New Delhi: In a major initiative to preserve India’s democratic and parliamentary heritage, the Delhi Legislative Assembly on Thursday launched Vidhan-Chetna, a quarterly research journal, alongside an 89-volume archival publication of the Proceedings of the Central Legislative Assembly from 1924 to 1930.

The landmark event, held at the historic Assembly complex, was inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who described the initiative as a “significant step in preserving India’s legislative history”. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju attended as Guest of Honour, while Delhi Assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta proposed the creation of a dedicated parliamentary museum within the Assembly premises.

Calling the Assembly building a “living legacy of India’s democratic heritage”, Birla said the published proceedings would help future generations understand the functioning and resilience of democratic institutions during colonial rule. He also highlighted the contribution of Vithalbhai Patel, the first Indian Speaker of the Central Legislative Assembly, for safeguarding the dignity and impartiality of the Chair under British rule.

Rijiju stressed that legislative institutions must remain strong to protect democracy and said the newly published records should be introduced in universities, schools and libraries to connect students with authentic parliamentary history. He added that democratic discourse should be based on documented legislative records rather than “media headlines or political narratives”.

Speaker Vijender Gupta said the Assembly had already compiled nearly 32,000 parliamentary questions from 407 sittings as part of a long-term project to preserve around five lakh legislative records for public access and research. He underlined that the archival series captures crucial nationalist debates, opposition to colonial policies and the evolution of parliamentary traditions in India.

Gupta also cited historic moments involving Vithalbhai Patel, including his casting vote against the British government on the Public Safety Bill in 1928 and his insistence on maintaining the constitutional authority of the Speaker’s office before the Viceroy.

Delhi Cabinet Minister Parvesh Sahib Singh said the republication of neglected legislative records would help students and researchers better understand India’s freedom struggle, constitutional values and democratic traditions.

The newly launched Vidhan-Chetna journal aims to serve as a research-driven platform focusing on constitutional governance, parliamentary traditions, legislative functioning and democratic accountability. The publication is expected to feature research papers, archival references, interviews and analytical articles for legislators, scholars, students and policy observers.

The 89-volume archive contains debates and speeches by several prominent nationalist leaders, including Madan Mohan Malaviya, Motilal Nehru, Lala Lajpat Rai, Bipin Chandra Pal and Ghanshyam Das Birla, covering issues such as swadeshi, education, caste discrimination, women’s rights and economic policy during the freedom movement.