Gangtok: A delegation from the Sikkim Legislative Assembly, led by Speaker Mingma Norbu Sherpa and Deputy Speaker Raj Kumari Thapa, participated in the high-profile Conference of All India Speakers and Deputy Speakers at the Delhi Vidhan Sabha on Saturday. The team also included Assembly Secretary Lalit Kumar Gurung and senior officials.
The national conference was organized to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Vithalbhai Jhaverbhai Patel’s appointment as the first Indian elected Speaker of a legislature. The event started with floral tributes at Patel’s statue, followed by the inauguration of a special exhibition showcasing his life and his crucial contributions to India’s parliamentary democracy.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah inaugurated the conference, where he lauded Vithalbhai Patel’s pivotal role in laying the foundation for India’s legislative framework during the pre-independence era. The ceremony saw the presence of Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi V.K. Saxena, and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, along with presiding officers from across the country.
The conference’s second session delved into two key themes. Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat spoke on the role of pre-independence nationalist leaders in the freedom movement, highlighting how they used legislative forums to further the struggle for independence. Following this, Harivansh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, led a session on “India – Mother of Democracy,” where he underscored India’s deep-rooted democratic ethos and the need to protect parliamentary institutions.
In the evening, the Sikkim delegation, along with other state representatives, attended a preparatory meeting at the Lok Sabha Secretariat for the upcoming 68th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC). Scheduled to be held in Bridgetown, Barbados, from October 6 to 12, 2025, the meeting was chaired by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, who briefed the delegates on India’s participation and its role in the global parliamentary forum.
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