Speaker inaugurates 7-day exhibition on Indian democratic heritage

Panaji, Jan 24 (UNI) Goa Assembly Speaker Francisco Sardinha today inaugurated a 7-day photo exhibition that unfolds the story of Indian democratic 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 the public till January 30, according to the joint director (Lok Sabha) Frank Christopher.

The exhibition was organised by the Parliamentary Museum and Archieves Division of Lok Sabha Secretariat in collaboration with the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) and Goa Legislative Assembly Secretariat.

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

The current photo exhibition is the second in this year after it was organised in early this month in Trivandrum. It traces the growth and development of democratic tradition in the country, beginning from the 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 Indian Parliament all depicted through photographs, write-ups, diagrams, charts and other graphics.

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

Interestingly, graphics displaying the 'educational background' of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members since 1952, photographs of presiding officers and secretaries of legislative bodies of different states and the parliament besides different revolutionaries who made the supreme sacrifice in the freedom struggle were also seen.

The visitors could also have a glimpse of the democratic institutions since vedic times and the first war of independence in 1857, group photos of the members of the constituent assembly, the modern TV studio in Parliament house and the hi-tech parliamentary museum.

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

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

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

UNI