In Rashtrapati Bhavan, President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee received the first copy of the book 'Indian Parliamentary Diplomacy- Speaker's Perspective,'written by Smt. Meira Kumar, former Speaker of the Lok Sabha (March 19, 2015). The book was presented to the President by Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, formally released it.
The Presidentcongratulated Smt. Meira Kumar on the publication of her book'Indian Parliamentary Diplomacy- Speaker's Perspective'on the occasion. He stated that from her observations in the book, each of us can learn a number of lessons.
The President stated that the Speakership is extremely important to him. The Parliament represents the people's will. The representation of people in Parliament is a fundamental tenet of the Parliamentary system. The Speaker is the keeper of the rights, privileges, and performance of the people's representatives in Parliament, who represent the spirit and aspirations of the country's vast majority of citizens.
The President stated that parliamentary diplomacy has become increasingly important and that one of the most important tasks for the Speaker these days is to carry out diplomatic work by attending various international conferences and bilateral visits.
The book examines the role of parliamentary diplomacy in the advancement of foreign policy and the strengthening of international relations. The book is a collection of reports and speeches given by Smt. Kumar during her time as Speaker of the Lok Sabhaand leader of Indian Parliamentary Delegations at international conferences and during her travels abroad.
