Chief minister J. Jayalalithaa on Friday said the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had been graced by stalwarts who steered the course of history.
Speaking at the historic diamond jubilee celebrations of the state Legislative Assembly, that saw the participation of President Pranab Mukherjee and Governor K. Rosaiah here on Friday, she said, “The TN state Legislative Assembly hall had resonated with the wit, brilliance and magnanimity of its earlier incumbents.”
She said the virtues of the TN Assembly cannot be extolled in a capsule and added that many historic, unanimous resolutions have been passed in the House.
Ms Jayalalithaa said, “The Assembly also had a long list of illustrious Speakers who helped to preserve the sanctity of the traditions of the House.”
She proudly pointed out that the Assembly structure still had centuries old parts. “The core of the present secretariat building still has parts surviving from 1693 when the original Fort House was pulled down and the complex metamorphosed into the Fort St. George,” Ms Jayalalithaa pointed out.
Governor Rosaiah, in his keynote address, stressed the need for legislators to be men of character. “The men who are capable would be able to make the best even of a defective Constitution. If they are lacking in these qualities the Constitution cannot help the country. India needs today nothing more than self-honest men who will have the interest of the country before them.”
He also exuded hope that the efforts put in by Ms Jayalalithaa would make TN a front-ranking state.
Earlier, at the beginning of the function, Ms Jayalalithaa informed the Assembly “regretfully” about the demise of former prime minister I.K. Gujral and requested the gathering to observe two minutes’ silence to condole the death.
Speaker P. Dhanapal welcomed the gathering, while deputy Speaker Pollachi Jayaraman proposed the vote of thanks at the end of the function that lasted 75 minutes. Mr K. Kothandaraman, Assembly Speaker, Puducherry, judges of the Madras high court, members of Parliament and former legislators participated.
The historic celebration would go down in history as another milestone in the saga of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly.