Opinion | Being a first-time parliamentarian profoundly influenced me as a leader

When I entered Parliament on 20 May 2014, I was over-awed by the grandeur and the history of our Parliament. As I sat in the Central Hall with the portraits and statues of the great leaders who have shaped India arrayed around us, I was humbled by the extraordinary privilege bestowed upon me by the people of Hazaribagh.

To be a Lok Sabha member is to experience a tremendous sense of responsibility and duty to serve our nation. The stalwarts who have passed through the halls and corridors of these Houses inspire me to give my very best. It is our patriotic duty to uphold the noble legacy that they have left behind for us.

The Central Hall has been the venue of the great debates that took place in the constituent assembly when the Constitution was being drafted.

Reading those debates again, now with the eyes of a law-maker myself, helped me understand how the founding fathers of our country wanted to bring social, political, and economic transformation to this country. This is an ongoing mission that we as Parliamentarians must continuously dedicate ourselves to.

History seeps out of the walls of our Parliament. I feel honoured to be a part of the living history that Parliament represents. It has been my privilege to carry forward the democratic enterprise that many great men and women have shaped for the last many decades.

As I listened to and participated in debates in Parliament, I could see how we were impacting the lives of all Indians in the present and deep into the future.

In this Lok Sabha, we undertook and passed many important legislations: more than 200 bills that improve the social, political, and economic well-being of India were adopted by the House. It is rare—indeed, it has happened only twice in the history of independent India—that Parliament meets at midnight.

To usher in a new era of fiscal and cooperative federalism in India, we parliamentarians assembled in the Central Hall to pass the goods and services tax (GST) laws, which unified the country as a market and as a nation.

We have had the historic opportunity to amend the Constitution to bring greater social justice to our citizens cutting across caste lines. I am deeply humbled by the solemn work that I have been able to participate in.

The level of debates in Parliament has often been extraordinary. I have learnt a lot when listening to the Hon’ble Prime Minister, my colleagues in the council of ministers and many leaders of the opposition.

As we all head back to our constituencies to renew our mandate and to get an opportunity to serve the people again, I look back with pride at the five years that have profoundly influenced me as a person and as a leader. I look forward to continue to participate in this grand democratic journey of our country. There are many miles to go before we sleep.

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