Goa Speaker opens fest on Indian demo heritage

Panaji, Jan 24: Goa Assembly Speaker Francisco Sardinha todayinaugurated a 7-day photo exhibition that unfolds the story of Indiandemocratic heritage, for the first time in the union territory.

Entitled 'Parliamentary Democracy: Our Heritage and achievements',the exhibition on the premises of the Kala Academy was open to thepublic till January 30, according to the joint director (Lok Sabha)Frank Christopher.

The exhibition was organised by the Parliamentary Museum andArchieves Division of Lok Sabha Secretariat in collaboration with theDirectorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) and GoaLegislative Assembly Secretariat.

It was the brainchild of Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee toopen exhibitions at different states to educate the masses on thefunctioning of the democratic institutions of the legislature and theparliament following the opening of the hi-tech Parliamentary Museumand Archieves in Delhi on August 14, 2006.

The current photo exhibition is the second in this year after itwas organised in early this month in Trivandrum. It traces the growthand development of democratic tradition in the country, beginning fromthe ancient times to the modern parliamentary institutions.

It lays special emphasis on the Indian freedom movement,development of the Constitution of India and working of the IndianParliament all depicted through photographs, write-ups, diagrams,charts and other graphics.

It also highlights the legislative set-up in different states ofthe country with particular emphasis on the democratic heritage andlegislature activities in Goa.

Interestingly, graphics displaying the 'educational background' ofRajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members since 1952, photographs of presidingofficers and secretaries of legislative bodies of different states andthe parliament besides different revolutionaries who made the supremesacrifice in the freedom struggle were also seen.

The visitors could also have a glimpse of the democraticinstitutions since vedic times and the first war of independence in1857, group photos of the members of the constituent assembly, themodern TV studio in Parliament house and the hi-tech parliamentarymuseum.

Scores of visitors including students of different schools and colleges were thronging the exhibition.

Mr Sardinha, opined that the conduct of such exhibitions on therole of the legislature bodies and the parliament could educate andenlighten the masses, the youth in particular, to help imbibe thespirit of democracy.

The parliamentary museum was conceptualised by the 'museums man ofIndia' Dr Saroj Ghose, who was former director general of NationalCouncil of Science Museums.

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