First Parliament sitting turns 60

From a special sitting to release a slew of books, special coins and postage stamp to a cultural extravaganza honouring the living members of the first Lok Sabha — Parliament will have it all on Sunday to mark the 60th anniversary of its first sitting.

The theme of the celebrations will be ‘sixty-year journey of Indian Parliament.’

The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha will hold special sittings from 11 am to 4.30 PM after which President Pratibha Devisingh Patil will address members from both the Houses at the central Hall.

Though under the Constitutional provisions, the President addresses the Joint Session only once a year in the beginning of the Budget Session, this time, an exception has been made to celebrate the grand occasion.

Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, who is the moving spirit behind the idea, will make the opening remark after which leader of the House and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee will initiate the debate in which members representing all the parties and even independents and nominated will participate.

In Rajya Sabha, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will initiate the debate.

91-year-old Reishang Keishing, Resham Lal Jangde and a few others who were the members of the first Lok Sabha will be honoured on the occasion.

Keishing, now a member of the Rajya Sabha, was member of the first and third Lok Sabha while Jangde was a member of the first, second and ninth Lok Sabha.

Special coins of Rs 5 and Rs 10 denomination will be released by the President to mark the occasion.

A special postage stamp will also be released. Three books published by the Lok Sabha Secretariat — Members’ Introduction: First Lok Sabha; Speakers of Lok Sabha and ‘60 years of the Lok Sabha: An Analysis’ will also be released by Patil.

A set of five books concerning the Rajya Sabha-- ‘Selected Speeches of Women Members of the Constituent Assembly’, ‘Welcome Respected Chairman’, ‘60 years of the Rajya Sabha’, ‘Computerisation of the Rajya Sabha: An Overview’ and ‘Nominated Members of the Rajya Sabha’ will also be released on the occasion.

Mesmerizing performances by Santoor maestro Pandit Shiv Kumar Sharma, Sitarist Debu Chaudhuri, Carnatic vocalist Maharajapuram Ramachandran, versatile singer Shubha Mudgal and Iqbal Khan will conclude the celebrations.