‘In India, democracy delivers’: PM Modi at Commonwealth Speakers Summit

“The main topic of this conference is effective delivery of parliamentary democracy; you all know that when India got Independence, a doubt that was expressed during that era was that democracy will not sustain amid such diversity. But India transformed this very diversity into the strength of democracy,” he said.

“Another significant doubt was that if democracy somehow does survive in Bharat, it will not under any condition be able to develop. But Bharat proved that democratic institutions and democratic processes provide the stability of democracy, speed, and scale. (Today) Bharat is the world’s fastest-growing economy,” he added.

Achievements in digital payments, vaccine production

PM Modi underlined feats such as India’s UPI being the world’s biggest digital payments system, its status as the world’s largest vaccine producer, the second-largest steel producer, and having the third-largest startup ecosystem and aviation market in the world.

It also had the fourth-largest railway network in addition to the third-largest metro rail network, while being the biggest milk producer and the second-largest rice producer in the world.

Citing the Covid-19 pandemic, when the entire world was struggling, the PM sought to underscore that despite challenges within it, India supplied medicines and vaccines to more than 150 nations, adding that serving people’s interests, welfare, and well-being is India’s ethos, which had been nurtured by India’s democracy since time immemorial.

‘Definition of democracy is last-mile delivery’

“In Bharat, the definition of democracy is last-mile delivery. We are working with the spirit of public welfare for each individual without bias. It is because of this spirit of public welfare that 25 crore people have come out of poverty over the last few years,” he said.

“In India, democracy delivers. Democracy delivers in Bharat because in our country, it is the people who are paramount. We have made their aspirations, the dreams of Janata Janardan our priorities. To ensure that this does not encounter any obstacles, from process to technology, everything has been democratized. And this democratic spirit is in our veins, our hearts, and our tradition,” he added.

The PM sought to highlight that the venue of the event holds immense importance in India’s democratic journey.

It was here in the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan or the Old Parliament during the final years of colonial rule, when India’s freedom was certain, that the Constituent Assembly met to draft the Constitution, PM Modi said.

For 75 years after Independence, the Prime Minister said, this very building had served as India’s Parliament, witnessing numerous crucial decisions and discussions shaping the nation’s future. India had recently celebrated 75 years of the implementation of its Constitution, he added.

Underlining that many across the world know India as the largest democracy, PM Modi highlighted that the scale of India’s democracy is truly extraordinary.

“Many of you know India as the world’s largest democracy. The scale of our democracy is truly extraordinary. Consider India’s General Elections held in 2024, they were the largest democratic exercise in human history. Nearly, 980 million citizens were registered to vote. This number is larger than the population of some continents,” he said.

“There were more than 8000 candidates and more than 700 political parties. The elections showed record participation by women voters. Today, Indian women aren’t only participating but also leading the way. The President of India, our first citizen, is a woman. The CM of Delhi, where this conference is taking place, is a woman,” he added.

He further highlighted that in rural and local government bodies, India has about 1.5 million elected women representatives, representing almost 50 per cent of grassroots leaders, which is globally unparalleled.

Underscoring that Indian democracy is rich in diversity, the PM added that hundreds of languages are spoken across it, there are over 900 television channels across different languages, and thousands of newspapers and periodicals are being published. Very few societies, he said, manage diversity at such a scale; India celebrates this diversity, he said, because its democracy “has a strong foundation”.

‘India’s democracy like a large tree supported by deep roots’

Comparing India’s democracy to a large tree supported by deep roots, the PM sought to emphasize its long-standing tradition of debate, dialogue, and collective decision-making, in reference to it being called the Mother of Democracy.

“India’s sacred texts, the Vedas, over 5,000 years old, refer to assemblies where people met to discuss issues and took decisions after discussion and agreement…India is the land of Bhagwan Buddha, where the Buddhist Sangha used to have open and structured discussions, with decisions taken through consensus or voting,” he said.

He also referred to a 10th-century inscription from Tamil Nadu describing a village assembly that worked with democratic values, with clear rules for accountability and decision-making. “India’s democratic values have been tested by time, supported by diversity, and strengthened generation after generation”, he also said.

Underlining geopolitical challenges being faced by the Global South and the way forward, PM Modi said nearly 50 percent of the Commonwealth’s total population resides in India, adding that India has consistently sought to contribute as much as possible to the development of all nations.

When it came to the Commonwealth’s Sustainable Development Goals, whether in the areas of health, climate change, economic growth, or innovation, India is fulfilling its commitments “with full responsibility” and continuously makes efforts to learn from fellow partners on the one hand and ensuring that India’s experiences benefit other Commonwealth nations on the other.

“When the world is undergoing unprecedented transformation, it is also the moment for the Global South to chart new pathways. India is strongly voicing the concerns of the Global South at every global platform…during its G20 Presidency, India placed the concerns of the Global South at the center of the global agenda,” he said.

The 28th CSPOC, being chaired by Speaker Birla, is being attended by 61 Speakers and Presiding Officers of 42 Commonwealth countries and 4 semi-autonomous parliaments from different parts of the world. This is the fourth time the conference is being held in India.

The conference is scheduled to deliberate on a wide range of contemporary parliamentary issues. These include the role of Speakers and Presiding Officers in maintaining strong democratic institutions, the use of Artificial Intelligence in parliamentary functioning, and the impact of social media on Members of Parliament, among others.