No. 4 Thursday, 7 January 2010

The 20th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh on 5 January 2010, concluded yesterday. The Lok Sabha Speaker and the Chairperson of the CSPOC, Smt. Meira Kumar, in her concluding remarks, said that there were meaningful discussions in the Plenary Sessions, the Workshops and the Regional Caucus Meetings on various issues which have a bearing on the efficient and efficacious functioning of the Commonwealth Parliaments. Smt. Meira Kumar also observed that the coming together

of the Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth fraternity to discuss issues and exchange views has helped in acquiring a deeper perspective into the problems and challenges faced by them in conducting the parliamentary proceedings.

The Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha complimented the CSPOC for nurturing and cherishing the values and ideals of parliamentary democracy in the Commonwealth during all these forty years with utmost devotion and sincerity. The New Delhi Conference, she said, has further reinforced and reinvigorated the sentinels of

TODAY’S WEATHER FOR DELHI Fog in the morning. Mainly clear sky. The temperature may vary between a minimum of 5°C (41°F) and 7°C (45°F) and a maximum of 19°C (66°F) and 21°C (70°F). The relative humidity will be in the range of a minimum of 35% to 45% and a maximum of 80% to 90%.

Conference Concludes

parliamentary democracy across the Commonwealth Parliaments. The success of the Commonwealth will go a long way in the global community’s efforts at strengthening democracy in its commitment to make the world a better place to live in, she stressed.

The Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha expressed her profound gratitude

The Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairperson of the CSPOC, Smt. Meira Kumar, making her Concluding Remarks

The Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces of South Africa, H.E. Mninwa Mahlangu, speaking at the Concluding Session

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Smt. Meira Kumar, addressing the media at the end of the CSPOC; also seen in the picture is the Secretary-General of Lok Sabha, Shri P.D.T. Achary

to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, for inaugurating the Conference. She thanked the Standing Committee of the CSPOC; the Hon’ble Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Shri K. Rahman Khan; the Hon’ble Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Shri Kariya Munda; the Executive Committee of the Indian Parliamentary Group and various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India for their cooperation at every stage in organizing the Conference. The Lok Sabha Speaker also appreciated the hard work and the commitment of the officers and staff of the Lok Sabha Secretariat under the leadership and guidance of Shri P.D.T. Achary, Secretary-General of Lok Sabha and the Secretary-General of the Conference for the meticulous planning and successful organization of the Conference. She also thanked each and everyone associated with the organization of the Conference for making it a great success.

On the occasion, the Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces of South Africa, Mr. Mninwa Mahlangu, said that he was overwhelmed with the warmth and hospitality extended to all the Distinguished Delegates who had gathered in New Delhi. The Delegates had come with high expectations of the warm Indian hospitality and the hosts had outdone that, he said.

Press Conference by the Lok Sabha Speaker

The Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairperson of the CSPOC, Smt. Meira Kumar, addressed the Media immediately after the Closing Plenary yesterday at the Vigyan Bhawan. She told the assembled media persons of the important deliberations at the Conference and the significant points that emerged out of the discussions. Later, the Hon’ble Speaker answered questions from the media about the Conference and its varied activities.

The important points that emerged out of the deliberations at this Workshop which was held on 5 January are:

Parliamentary Questions

• The parliamentary device of asking questions on the floor of the House is a very potent and effective mechanism available with the elected representatives of the people for eliciting responses from the Government.

• Consequently, the time allotted for taking up questions is of immense significance which has to be gainfully and effectively utilized.

• The Presiding Officer has a crucial role in ensuring that the question time/question hour is utilized to its optimum and also that the responses by the Ministers are specific and relevant to the questions asked. What is important is to secure governmental or Executive accountability to the Legislature through the procedure of parliamentary questions.

• This parliamentary device should emerge as a proactive mechanism of interface between the elected representatives of the people and the Government, with the primary objective of resolving the issues/problems of the citizens.

Points of Order

• This is yet another important parliamentary device in the hands of the elected representatives. It can be effectively resorted to point out procedural irregularities, so much so that when a point of order is raised, the Member/Minister or even the Prime Minister who is on the floor will have to yield. On the other hand, instances are not wanting where this device is resorted to by Members just to interrupt the Member or Minister in midstream or to make out some point which the Member raising the Point of Order could have raised even otherwise.

• It is incumbent upon the Presiding Officer to ensure that this

parliamentary device is judiciously used.

There was unanimity among all the participants at the Workshop that the Speaker’s role is pivotal in safeguarding the pride and prestige of the legislative bodies. The attributes of impartiality and neutrality and the very standing of the Presiding Officer tend to raise the stature of the Office of the Speaker/Presiding Officer. The Speaker truly acts as a bridge between the people and the elected representatives on the one side and the Government on the other. This exalted status carries with it the onerous responsibility of measuring up to the expectations of the people. That is why the position and the stature of the Speaker/Presiding Officer is unmatched in a parliamentary democracy.

The presentation of the Report was followed by an active interaction in the Plenary held yesterday. The Hon’ble Mr. Mninwa Mahlangu, Chairperson, National Council of Provinces, South Africa, pointed

Workshop on The Speakers’ Role as a Mediator

Dignitaries at the CSPOC

Dignitaries at the CSPOC

out that the parliamentary device of asking questions on the floor of the House is very important and an effective mechanism for the electorate to take the Government to task. Citing the practice pertaining to the National Assembly, the Gambia, Hon’ble Elizabeth F.Y. Renner, Speaker, observed that Speakers/Presiding Officers should strictly observe the Standing Rules. On the question that the answer should be brief and specific, the Hon’ble Sylvia Lloyd Heal, Deputy Speaker, House of Commons, United Kingdom, added that answers should be not only specific but also relevant. On this, Rt. Hon’ble Baroness Hayman, Lord Speaker, House of Lords, said that the question time is the time for exposing ideological and political differences as well as extracting information. Intervening in the discussion, Hon’ble Dr. Louis Galea, Speaker, House of

Representatives, Malta, noted that the Speaker as a mediator implies much more significance than just regulating the House. The Speaker has a moral authority to make the House truly representative of the people. Hon’ble Stephen Charles Rodan SHK, Speaker, House of Keys, Isle of Man, was of the view that it is the Speaker’s prerogative to decide whether an answer be denied on the pretext of maintaining public interest or not. Hon’ble Dr. Fehmida Mirza, Speaker, National Assembly, Pakistan, highlighted the evolving role of the Speakers/Presiding Officers in developing consensus, and also in leading the efforts towards parliamentary diplomacy. The Hon’ble Presiding Officers of Australia, Malawi, Guernsey, Jersey and Canada also participated in the discussion.

Commending the measures taken by Hon’ble Speaker Smith of New Zealand

in effectively handling the question time and allowing as many as 72 questions in a day, the Hon’ble Speaker of Lok Sabha and the Chairperson of CSPOC, Smt. Meira Kumar, said that it is indeed a record.

Summing up the discussion, the Chairperson of the Workshop, Hon’ble Hari Narayen Ramkarran, Speaker, National Assembly, Guyana, felt that mediation also relates to balancing the interests of members and the Government. There are wide variety of rules and practices prevailing in different countries as well as a wide array of approaches which allow the Speakers/Presiding Officers to use their influence in the conduct of the business of the House. Since they do have an important role in the society, and are seen as persons who preside over people’s interests, they require to maintain the highest level of dignity, he added.

The main points that came out of the Workshop held on 5 January are:

• Information and Communication Technologies which are emerging every day are required to be used by the public representatives in the best possible manner so as to remain in constant touch with the people.

• The sanctity of the debating Chambers must be maintained at all costs, while making the best use of ICT.

• The use of laptops or other hand– held devices should not be allowed in the House as they may influence the decisions of the legislator while participating in the proceedings.

• The use of ICT must be encouraged but it must be used in a responsible way to access its benefits without impinging on the sanctity of the House.

The discussion in the Plenary Session yesterday on the theme began with the presentation of the Workshop Report by the Hon’ble Speaker of

Workshop on The Use of Technology in the Parliamentary Context

Dignitaries at the CSPOC

the Parliament of Singapore. Several Delegates affirmed what was endorsed in the Workshop that Parliaments and parliamentarians should learn to make use of technological advances, especially in the ICT sector, to connect with their constituents and to facilitate a more efficient discharge of their duties.

The main thrust of the discussion was on whether technological devices such as laptops, Blackberrys and other means of communication, should be used within the Chambers of Parliament. While several Delegates confirmed that their Parliaments allow the use of handheld gadgets, especially Blackberrys, mobile phones and in some cases laptops, inside the Chambers of Parliament to allow the members to access information and stay connected with their constituents, the distractions and disruptions that such intrusive gadgets caused to other members and the proceedings of the House were pointed out by several others. The common refrain was that though technological tools and devices may be allowed to assist members in their efficient discharge of their duties, the sanctity of Parliament as the highest debating forum should not be compromised. Issues such as distraction caused by noises, engagement with business other than that is before the House at any given point of time, real time influence on members’ opinion while being in the House through communication gadgets

by outside elements, etc., were some of the negative aspects pointed out. The discussion was enriched by interventions and contributions made by the distinguished participants from the Isle of Man, Jersey, The Bahamas, India, Namibia, Australia, Malta, Nigeria, the UK, Zambia, The Gambia and Canada.

Of all the Parliaments that reported the situation in their own cases, Canada turned out to be the only Parliament that allows the use of laptops and other handheld communication gadgets inside the Chambers of Parliament. The Hon’ble Speaker, House of Commons, Canada, affirmed that their Parliament has been rewired to allow members to plug into the internet inside the Chambers of Parliament. Some Parliaments reported the use of Blackberrys and mobile phones inside the Chambers but not laptops, while several others said that such gadgets are strictly disallowed inside the Chambers. The Hon’ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, India, one of the main presenters in the Workshop, pointed out that in the Indian Parliament, handheld communication gadgets, including laptops, Blackberrys and mobile phones, are not only disallowed but that signal jammers are used to render such gadgets ineffective inside the Chambers of Parliament.

An intervention from the Hon’ble Speaker, House of Representatives,

Malta, carried the discussion forward by not only endorsing the use of technology but also encouraging Parliaments and parliamentarians to adapt to the changes brought about by technology. He asserted that if they do not adapt to such changes, a gap between Parliament and the public will be created as the technological devices have become an extended part of the personality of the younger generation. ICTs and other technological tools and devices should be used to make the activities of Parliament more accessible to the people, their websites more interactive, etc., without disturbing the sanctity of the Houses of Parliament as debating forums.

The discussion was summed up by the remarks made by the Hon’ble Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha, India, who, while asserting that Parliaments should retain their quintessential nature as debating forums, endorsed and encouraged the adoption of ICTs and other technological tools to assist in the smooth and transparent functioning of Parliament and the efficient discharge of duties by parliamentarians. The view was endorsed by the Workshop Chair who remarked that while the march of technology cannot be stopped, its use has to be judiciously determined so as not to disturb the sanctity of Parliament as the forum for democratic debate.

The main point that emerged out of the Workshop on this theme held on 5 January was the consensus that the most important factor when looking at the role of the Speaker in the administration of Parliament is trust, which should be gained in all respects while performing various functions — whether they pertain to financial or administrative matters or matters pertaining to the conduct of the House. The respect given by the Speaker to the members of the House is very important in facilitating the smooth conduct of the business of the House.

The presentation of the Report of the Workshop on The Role of Speaker in the Administration of Parliament was followed by an interesting discussion. Participating in the discussion session, Hon. Mninwa Mahlangu, Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces of South Africa, dwelt on two aspects of the Budget of Parliament, strategic planning and auditing of the Budget. He said that unlike in India, in South Africa the Budget of Parliament is

subject to the same procedure as the budget of other Ministries. Hon. Edward Ssekandi Kiwanuka, Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, referred to the amendment of the Uganda Constitution since 1995 and said that since then, the Parliament has enjoyed financial autonomy. Presently, Parliament prepares its budget which is sent to the President for comments. Insofar as the administration of Parliament is concerned, the Parliament enjoys autonomy in the recruitment of its staff, though the Clerk is appointed by the President.

Taking part in the discussion, Hon. Kenneth Otiato Marende, the Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, observed that the role of the Speaker goes beyond regulating the debate and the Speaker is answerable to the Parliament and the nation. Hon. Elizabeth F.Y. Renner, Speaker of the National Assembly of The Gambia, said that in her country, Parliament is responsible for scrutinizing the overall estimates of the Government; the Committee on Public Accounts and

Workshop on The Role of Speaker in the Administration of Parliament

the Committee on Public Enterprises include eminent economists as members.

Summing up, the Speaker of Lok Sabha, Smt. Meira Kumar, observed that the role of the Speaker in the administration of the Parliament is connected to the supremacy of the Parliament. The Constitution enjoins on the Speaker certain administrative and financial autonomy. On the administrative aspects, she mentioned that the Parliament Secretariats have their own recruitment rules. The staff and officers are provided with necessary training inputs for their capacity building. As regards the budget, she said that the Secretariat of the Lok Sabha is primarily responsible for the preparation of the budget estimates of the House. These estimates are placed before the Committee appointed by the Speaker. Once the Speaker gives approval, these are forwarded to the Ministry of Finance for incorporation in the Union Budget.

Former Speaker of Lok Sabha Shri Shivraj V. Patil, M.P.; Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Smt. Sushma Swaraj; and Chairman of the BJP Parliamentary Board and former Deputy Prime Minister of India, Shri L.K. Advani, at the Inaugural Function of the CSPOC

Images from the Conference

Images from the Conference

TODAY’S WEATHER FOR AGRAPartly cloudy, becoming mainly clear sky. Fog/Mist in the morning. The temperature may vary between a minimum of 6°C (43°F) and 8°C (46°F) and a maximum of 20°C (68°F) and 22°C (72°F). The relative humidity will be in the range of a minimum of 35% to 45% and a maximum of 80% to 90%.

Distinguished Guests, you are now aboard the Special Train on way to Agra, the city made immortal by the Taj Mahal which has retained its exalted status as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. But let us tell you that Agra also has a rich and varied history going beyond the Taj. The city finds mention in the Mahabharata, the popular Indian epic dating back to the 3rd century B.C., where it was referred to as the Agrabana or the Paradise City. The city came to prominence in the 16th and 17th centuries during the reign of the Mughals when their capital alternated between Agra and Delhi. Today, while Delhi reigns as the capital city of India, Agra reigns over a glorious past created by history and a people skilled in craftsmanship, art and architecture.

The state of architecture in India acquired a new momentum during the Mughal rule. With the arrival of Akbar, the Mughals set in motion an unparalleled building activity. All that was best in the building tradition of India came to life, with Shah Jahan taking the Mughal architecture to its climactic best in the Taj Mahal. To some, the Taj Mahal is just an over-rated and over-iced wedding cake. To others, it is a sublime experience to be ranked with the Pyramids of Egypt, the Palace of Versailles, or the Parthenon of Athens as the aesthetic epitome of a rich civilization. And to many others, it is simply the greatest love story ever told.

Arjuman Banu, the niece of Jahangir’s queen, Nur Jahan, was the second wife of Emperor Shah Jahan. After marriage in 1612, she took on the name by which she became famous in history — Mumtaz Mahal. She bore him fourteen children and it was in childbirth that she died. A grieving Shah Jahan vowed to build her a memorial surpassing anything the world had ever seen in elegance and beauty and, it must be said, in wild extravagance. Indeed, the Taj is a poem of love in marble which is unparalleled in the world. With craftsmen brought from as far away as Persia, Turkey, France and Italy, and with a huge army of 20,000 labourers

in action for a long span of 22 years, the magnificent edifice in marble and sandstone came up on the shores of the river Yamuna.

The Taj has attracted travellers to India for centuries and continues to be a great attraction for tourists, both Indian and foreign. It is a monument that needs to be experienced and observed at different times of the day from far and near to get the feeling of the exquisite beauty that it evokes. The Taj is at its glorious best on a full moon night.

We recall fondly the exhilarating experiences of some of our earlier honoured guests who also were fascinated by the timeless and elegant Taj during the previous Conferences. The Taj stands out majestically yet mutely, wishing every visitor well with a calm and dignified demeanour. It has seen centuries of time pass by, millions of visitors come by, remaining undisturbed and unperturbed.

It is often said that beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder and many of us tend to agree. But that is only till we see the Taj Mahal. Once there, we know we have been wrong all along. Beauty lies in the object seen and not just in the eyes of the beholder. Eyes can be prejudiced but not objects. The Taj is one such object. It is not merely a thing of beauty bringing joy for ever. It is, in the words of Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, ‘a resplendent and immortal tear-drop of love on the cheek of time by a bereaved husband to his beloved wife’.

We are sure you will enjoy your visit to this great monument and cherish beautiful memories for a long time to come.

Agra: The City of the Taj !

Delegates, their Spouses and accompanying persons will be visiting the historical city of Agra in Uttar Pradesh on a post-Conference tour today, by a Special Train. The Delegates will visit Fatehpur Sikri and the Taj Mahal in Agra as per following programme:

Thursday, 7 January, 2010

0645 Hrs. All Delegates assemble in the Foyer of the Hotels

0650 Hrs. Delegates leave Hotels for Safdarjung Railway Station

0710 Hrs. Delegates arrive at Safdarjung Railway Station

0730 Hrs. Depart Safdarjung Railway Station for Agra Cantt. by Special Shatabdi Train (Breakfast on board)

1005 Hrs. Arrive Agra Cantt. Railway Station

1015 Hrs. Leave Agra Cantt. Railway Station for Fatehpur Sikri

1100 Hrs. Arrive Fatehpur Sikri — Visit Fatehpur Sikri

1215 Hrs. Depart from Fatehpur Sikri

1300 Hrs. Arrive Agra (Hotel Jaypee Palace)

1330 Hrs. Lunch hosted by the Hon. Chairman of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council, and Hon. Speaker of Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly at Hotel Jaypee Palace

1430 Hrs Depart Hotel Jaypee Palace for Taj Mahal

1445 Hrs. Arrive Taj Mahal — Visit Taj Mahal

1645 Hrs. Depart Taj Mahal for Agra Cantt. Railway Station

1700 Hrs Arrive Agra Cantt. Railway Station

1730 Hrs. Depart for Delhi by Special Shatabdi Train

2020 Hrs. Arrive Delhi

2040 Hrs. Arrive respective hotels — Dinner at respective hotels (by coupons)

The Special Train will leave from New Delhi Safdarjung Railway Station at 0730 hrs. and is expected to arrive back the same evening at about 2020 hrs.

All the Delegates/Clerks/Secretaries-General/spouses and registered accompanying persons are requested to assemble in the Foyer of the respective hotels at 0645 hrs. The coaches from hotels will leave at 0650 hrs. The Liaison Officers attached with the Delegations have also been advised accordingly.

Presiding Officers and Secretaries from Indian State Legislatures and their spouses may kindly reach Safdarjung Railway Station directly by 0710 hrs.

The Special Train will comprise 5 Coaches numbering A 1 to A 5 meant for the Delegates. In order to make their journey comfortable and enjoyable, Coach Number has been allotted to the each Delegation in the Special Train as well as in the bus coaches in Agra as below:

DELEGATIONS FROM FOREIGN AND INDIAN STATE LEGISLATURES

TRAIN COACH

NO.

AGRA BUS COACH

NO.

Botswana, Gibraltar, Malawi, Maldives, Malaysia, New Zealand, Seychelles, Sierra Leone

Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana

A-1 1 & 2

Australia, The Bahamas, Jersey, Kenya, Singapore, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom

Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra

A-2 3 & 4

Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha Secretary-General, Lok Sabha Secretary-General, CPA

Canada, Mauritius, Namibia, Pakistan

Karnataka, Kerala, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal

A-3 5 & 6

Guyana, Lesotho, Malta, Samoa, South Africa, The Gambia, Uganda, Zambia

Assam, Manipur, Orissa, PunjabA-4 7 & 8

Bangladesh, British Virgin Islands, Ghana, Guernsey, Isle of Man, Kiribati, Nauru, Nigeria, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Swaziland, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago

Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttarakhand

A-5 9 & 10

Delegates are requested to kindly take their seats in the designated Coach only.

In view of the limited capacity in the Special Train, the tour is restricted to registered Delegates, Clerks/Secretaries and their Spouses from foreign countries and Presiding Officers and Secretaries from Indian Legislatures and their spouses.

Delegates may kindly note that the venue for the Lunch at Agra has been changed to Hotel Jaypee Palace from Hotel Clarks Shiraz, as intimated earlier.

We wish you a happy, enjoyable and comfortable journey to the city of the Taj!

Post-Conference Tour to Agra

The average traveller on a trip south from Delhi tends to shut his camera case after capturing the Taj Mahal. We hope you will not make this mistake. About 40 km. from Agra, is a perfectly preserved city built on a small hill called Sikri. It is a sleeping beauty and its entire history sounds like a fairy tale. The tale began when a desperate Akbar, since he had no heir, visited a holy man, Shaikh Salim Chisti, who lived in a small village. The Shaikh blessed Akbar and the Emperor was soon blessed with a son, whom he named Salim (Jahangir). A grateful Akbar decided to move his capital to the village of Shaikh Salim Chisti, popularly known as Fatehpur Sikri. It is a town complete with caravan, serais, gardens, courtyards and bath houses, besides the Diwan-e-Aam (Hall of Public Audience) and the Diwan-e-Khas (Hall of Special Audience). There is a sublime beauty in the architecture of Fatehpur Sikri which, we hope, will fascinate all of you.

Fatehpur Sikri

From the Bulletin Desk

Well, nothing lasts forever! All things come to an end. Alas, including good things like the 20th Conference of the Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth! The CSPOC came to a successful conclusion yesterday. It is time for the Bulletin, your friendly companion over the past four days, to bid a warm adieu to you. It is hoped that you enjoyed reading the Bulletin as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you each morning since your arrival in New Delhi.

The Conference deliberated on weighty subjects having a mighty significance for the functioning of Parliaments across the Commonwealth fraternity. The atmosphere was informal, the ambience amiable and the exchanges enlivening and enlightening, both in the Workshops on the first day as well as at the Concluding Plenary yesterday. The discussions were based on practical experiences obtaining across our Parliaments. As one perceptive Speaker observed, the themes of the Workshops are so captivating one felt rather constrained to participate in all of them as they ran simultaneously. One had to miss two to make it to one! But, all the themes were, indeed, interesting and educative, having a great relevance for the Speakers and Presiding Officers.

However, the Reports presented by the respective Chairmen of the Workshops to the Concluding Plenary and the ensuing discussions which afforded an opportunity across the board to participate somewhat made up for the loss of opportunity to participate in the Workshops. In the first Workshop, the role of the Speaker as a mediator came in for a detailed analysis over the genesis of the institution of Speaker. Today, in the era of intensely competitive politics, the Speaker graduated from the role of a regulator, to the position of a mediator who would make orderly discussion possible by providing for a level playing field to various Parties and Groups in the House, thereby ensuring a fair play of the game. The Question Hour came in for an animated discussion in which all the Distinguished Delegates unanimously agreed that the principle of public interest must be the guiding spirit of parliamentary questions and subsequent discussions.

The second Workshop on the use of technology in the parliamentary context elicited very interesting exchange of views based on the prevailing trends in Parliaments following the relentless invasion of information technology into our lives. As the Hon. Bailiff of Jersey, Mr. Michael Birt had succinctly put

it, if flashy gadgets like Blackberries and Laptops make their way into the Houses, then Legislative Chambers would look like Call Centres and not like debating forums which they are supposed to be. While we cannot stop the march of technology, the sanctity of the Chamber as the highest forum of democratic debate cannot be compromised with, whatever may be the trends and temptations. There is also the contrary view that we need to brace ourselves up to face the inevitable than be cowered down by the profound strides made by science and technology.

The third Workshop on the role of the Speaker as administrator of Parliament came in for a lucid deliberation as it is a subject that concerns the community of Speakers and Presiding Officers directly on a day-to-day basis. The administrative autonomy of the Speaker over Parliament and its Secretariat is closely linked to the supremacy of Parliament to oversee the work of the Government which emanates from Parliament and which is accountable to Parliament. Therefore, the authority of the Speaker over the administrative machinery of Parliament should necessarily be free from Executive control if the institution of Parliament has to fulfill

Distinguished Delegates!

its constitutional mandate of being a watchdog to ensure that governance is carried on in accordance with the will of the people who are the ultimate masters in a democracy. There was a remarkable consensus across the board on this particular theme among the Delegates!

But, as we promised on day one, the hectic schedule of the first day was made light in the evening with a delightful cultural programme which gave a glimpse of the grace and glory of our rich cultural heritage and an amazing diversity. The visit to Parliament House yesterday has given you some inkling of the monumental effort that had gone into planning, designing and building such a grand structure which is a testimony to the harmony between Western architecture and Indian heritage. It was constructed at a time when building technology in the modern sense of the term was perhaps rudimentary, to say the least. But, the Parliament House, one of the significant architectural landmarks of the Capital, has stood the test of time bravely and graciously, as you would have realised!

As you travel to the historic city of Agra by the most modern and the fastest of trains of the Indian

Railways, Shatabdi, it is time to tell the first timers amongst you a thing or two about the Taj Mahal before you actually get to see the wonder. Admittedly, it is the most magnificent statement of love ever made by a doting husband, Emperor Shah Jahan to Mumtaz Mahal, his beloved wife and sweet heart, a rare coincidence, indeed! As you yourself will experience in a short while, the amazing thing about the Taj is that it appears rather suddenly, not being visible from a distance. When you arrive at the site, the Taj is simply there standing majestically and wishing the visitors in profound silence. Millions of visitors, big and small, have come and gone, but its charm and elegance, grace and grandeur, magic and majesty remained intact over the centuries. Perhaps, the Taj itself is unaffected by all the attention it receives as an inscrutable smile remains suspended on its face much like the mysterious smile on the face of Mona Lisa!

With the visit to Agra, the Conference formally comes to a close as the business sessions have already concluded yesterday. It is an experience of business with pleasure, as several Delegates expressed their

deep-felt gratitude over the warmth of the famed Indian hospitality which made the chill rather light!

At the Bulletin Desk, we are sure that you will carry pleasant memories of your visit to India. The Bulletin is winding up with a sense of fulfillment. We are told by several Delegates that we have served you well! Several others told us how enthralled they were with the content and the quality of the Bulletin. We are honoured, even humbled by your enthusiastic support. Appreciation is the elixir of excellence! Praise is the potion for perfection! Indeed, we have enjoyed bringing out the Bulletin each morning as much as you enjoyed reading it. But, we promise to search for our lapses, if any. And we will do better the next time. It is time for the Bulletin to go into hibernation. It is winter anyway. A nice coincidence!

Finally, the Bulletin Desk takes pleasure to wish the community of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth, their Spouses and accompanying persons (belated) New Year Greetings and a bon voyage.

Have a nice day! Prin

ted

by J

ainc

o A

rt In

dia,

New

Del

hi