Model parliament should be created in schools and colleges: Karnataka Chief Minister

You don’t have any Active Subscription.

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, and Minister for Social Welfare K.H. Muniyappa during the International Day of Democracy function in Bengaluru on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: ALLEN EGENUSE J.

Stating that there is a need to encourage new leadership, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday said that model parliaments should be created in schools and colleges to develop “Youth Parliament.”

Speaking here at the International Day of Democracy function here, the Chief Minister said that the “Youth Parliament” should have the spirit of the Anubhava Mantapa of social reformer Basavanna. “This is how the concept of Anubhava Mantapa, which is credited with being the first Parliament, will be introduced,” he said. He added that India is a model to world’s democracy through the Anubhava Mantapa.

The Chief Minister said that leadership should grow and the youth should understand the democratic set-up. “That is why we have made the decision on holding elections in every college. We do not know who has the spark. Everyone should get opportunity in leadership. A real leader is one who creates leadership,” he said.

Stating that leaders face obstacles at every step, the Chief Minister recalled how he had faced obstacles in his leadership ambition in school and college.

Mr. Shivakumar said that legal bank has been opened after Rahul Gandhi said that legal teams are required in every taluks to provide guidance. “Situation of about a crore people losing voting rights has arisen. No one should lose voting rights. Arrangements are being made to provide permanent residency certificate and income certificate to ensure 47 lakh people get into voters list.”

He said, “Democracy is not only about election; but a real democracy provides dignity, respect and livelihood rights. If people fear the government, it becomes dictatorship. When the government respects people it is democracy.”

The International Day of Democracy was celebrated at various places across Karnataka.

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.