Text of the Vice-President’s Address to the 9th Mizoram Legislative Assembly

Greetings to all of you!

I am indeed overwhelmed.What I see in the house that is nearly in full strength is a message I will take from this place to all the legislatures and Parliament. It is a privilege and honour to address this august assembly.

It is a matter of pride that this assembly has three women members for the first time.Congratulations to them.

Their presence in this house reflects increasing participation of women in governance and policy making.

We are fast heading towards women-led development. The spectacular performance of our girls on the Republic Day at Kartavya Path was a defining moment of welcome change.

On September 20 and 21 last year, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha passed a constitutional legislation, Nari Shakti VandanAdhiniyam, providing for 1/3rd reservation for women in Lok Sabha and state legislatures.

This became law and a constitutional prescription with the signing by the Honourable President of India, SmtDroupadiMurmu, the first tribal and the first tribal woman to occupy the highest constitutional office in the largest democracy on the planet, home to 1/6^th of humanity.

What a glorious moment! An epochal event! A tribal woman president embedding this historical change, this game changer provision in the Constitution.

This involvement of women in Lok Sabha and Legislatures will be transformational in evolution of policies and governance. 

So be prepared- in the state assembly elections to come, witness amazing soothing spectacle in this House of 40, where 13 or more members will be women, participating in policy making and governance. 

It is a matter of joy for us all that our nation is on a path of unprecedented progress.

Our economy a decade ago was at number 11 in the world. Now we are the fifth largest global economy, ahead of Canada, UK and France.

As a nation we are already 3rd largest in terms of purchasing power.

In coming two-three years, we’ll be third largest global economy, ahead of Japan and Germany.

The country now has world class infrastructure of roads and connectivity.

In all this development, northeast including state of Mizoram has been a significant partner. The region has seen unprecedented, exponential growth in last decade.

The government’s policy of Look East-Act East has been a game changer. Last decade has been the Golden Era of the northeast.

The NE council played a crucial role with achievements of over 12000 kms of road, 700 MW power plants and establishment of many national institutions.

Friends, the entire world applauded India’s presidency of G20 giving us high global image. G20 meetings were held all over the country including Mizoram. Thereby, Mizoram has gained significant footing in tourism.

The International Travel Mart 2022 that concluded in the capital city of Mizoram witnessed laying of the foundation stone of the Aizawl Convention Centre at Chite, a PRASAD Project in Mizoram and two Bamboo Link Roads.

The Aizawl Bypass Road and Bamboo Link Roads are being developed at a total cost of INR 600 crores under the PM-DevINE scheme, out of which two Bamboo Link Roads are being constructed at the estimated cost of INR 66.42 crores and INR 33.58 crores, respectively.

With the development of Aizawl Tourism Convention Centre and two bamboo link roads, there will be upward surge in tourism in the state.

Aizawl Convention Centre will be critical in making significant economic contribution to Mizoram.

Mizoram is gifted with incredible beauty and cultural richness. Mizoram is a dream destination of tourists, surrounded by lush green hills and villages. These developmental activities will enhance tourism in the area. 

I commend members of this august assembly for reflecting discipline and decorum worth emulating by others. I look back at the Constituent Assembly debates, for about three years, the ConstituentAssembly debated, discussed, deliberated and grappled with issues that were contentious and highly divisive. There was never an occasion for them either to engage in disturbance or disruption or come to the well. I find in this house- what I have seen and heard about it- quite close to the performance of Constituent Assembly., members of which assembly gave us the Constitution.

I will take this message in all earnestness, because I am motivated, inspired that if such an ecosystem is there in temple of democracy, the nation benefits, the state benefits and the people prosper.

We all in the nation are part of marathon march for Viksit Bharat@2047. This august assembly needs to roll out a road map of growth and development that is futuristic and contributes to the success of this glorious marathon for Viksit Bharat@2047.

Your enormous potential in tourism and horticulture, local art and products needs to be fully exploited. It makes available for young minds great opportunities.

The remarkable focus on North East India with a separate department, DONER has yielded results. The exponential rise in physical and digital connectivity, roads has been a game changer.

Friends, it is time for us to keep our nationalism uppermost and take pride in being Indians and in India's historic achievements. We all in the country, have to keep our nationalism uppermost. We have to take pride in being citizens of this great nation. We have to be proud of our exponential, phenomenal rise in all sectors that is being applauded by global institutions.

It’s time for us to be guided by what Dr Ambedkar has reflected, “You should be Indian first, Indian last and nothing else but Indian.”

I invite all the Members of this august Assembly to visit the new building of Parliament, Bharat Mandapam - venue of G20, and Yashobhoomi - venue of P20 as my guests.

It will be an honourfor me and forthe members in the Parliament as they will be able to interact and give a different kind of thought process about how a House can be handled so decorously and in a dignified manner, giving highest productivity. Hon’ble members, we have to look at the contemporaneous scenario for India at the moment which is upbeat in every walk of life.If you talk in terms of economic development, the world is taking us to be the hotspot of opportunity and investment.We have been ranked very high by Global Institutions like IMF and World Bank.

When we think in terms of infrastructure, something which was beyond dreams and accomplishment, is now a ground reality. I had the occasion to be your member of Lok Sabha in 1989.

We know the situation then and most of you gather about it, we were in a very difficult situation economically and otherwise.Imagine the plight of the nation that once known as a golden bird, the gold has to be airlifted, placed in two banks in Switzerland to sustain fiscal credibility and now that is something which we can't recollect.

We are marching ahead of other nations, developed nations. Those who sought to give advice to us, are seeking our advice. They are coming this country with hope and optimism to make opportunities available to them.In this kind of scenario it lies in the domain of Legislature to play the decisive role ofenlightening the executive and ensuring that we are on a passage that is fastest so that we become a global power.

Never before our youth had any ecosystem available to them that they could, by virtue of governance policies and initiatives, exploit that talent, realise their ambitions and dreams.This state is full of hope and possibility, this state has to work through the wisdom of legislature to unleash the opportunities, be it in hydro power, be it in tourism, be it in start-ups.These are the times where a constraint of place is no longer a constraint, with digital penetration taking place in our country that has stunned world institutions.

Our digital penetration was remarked upon by the World Bank, which stated that India achieved things in 6 years which could not be achieved by others in four decades and more.If you take it our transactions in this forum in 2022, they were four times the transactions of USA, UK, France and Germany taken together.

Look at the genius of our people, their adaptability to technology, that per capita internet usage in our country is more than that of China and USA taken together.The entire country could weather the storm of pandemic COVID because we had a mechanism of having inclusive growth.

It is difficult for the world to recognise that this country has 500 million bank accounts that reflects adequacy of banking inclusion of the ordinary person. The person in the last row is being benefited by governance.

The nation stands for all.The kind of development I can assure you friends is taking place not in periodical manner.Everyone is benefiting thereby and this part of the country in particular is gifted by nature with beauty,elegance forests, there could hardly be a rival place where there are opportunities for tourism. I call upon the members of this House: in tandem and togetherness, evolve a mechanism so that youth of your state are able to take full advantage of the opportunities that lie ahead on them, including in areas of which you all are aware- disruptive technology.

We have to live with them, we have to use them we have to face the challenges they offer us and that can be done only when in one voice, this august house, gifted house, shows the way to the youth and other people that yes,it is time to unlock the lock and reward the nation and state with progress that is ours!

I thank each one of you for sparing time. I know having been junior ParliamentaryAffairs minister in 1990 and Chairman Rajya Sabha, the presence in this number, it could not be more.

I will carry these memories in my heart all my life.

Best of luck to all of you!Best wishes and I look forward to receiving you as Chairman, Rajya Sabha as and when you make it convenient, in groups or individuals.

Thank you so much for the time and opportunity made available!