National Legislators' Conference Bharat – An Unprecedented Gathering of India's Elected Representatives

 

National: The “National Legislators' Conference Bharat” (NLC Bharat) is envisioned as a historic event that brings together ‘Members of Legislative Assemblies’ (MLAs) and ‘Members of Legislative Councils’ (MLCs) across India's States and Union Territories to share their ideas and commendable practices on a common platform. The conference will take place in Mumbai from June 15th to June 18th, 2023. It would be the first unprecedented gathering of elected representatives in the history of India.

What is NLC Bharat?

“NLC Bharat” is a non-partisan platform for legislators to interact and learn from each other. Its cherished goal is enhancing legislative effectiveness and promoting good governance. The four-day event will see more than 80 parallel thematic participatory sessions of MLAs and MLCs. These legislators will engage in experiential learning and thematic discussions in thoughtfully curated sessions. Acclaimed national/global leaders as well as various party leaders are invited to participate in sessions aimed at strengthening democracy. Interactions with delegates from democracies abroad are also planned.

“NLC Bharat” is supported by various state Legislatures, respected senior bureaucrats, and members of civil society. Patrons and the Governing Council for NLC Bharat include former Lok Sabha speakers Smt. Sumitra Mahajan, Dr. Meira Kumar, Shri Manohar Joshi, Shri. Shivraj Patil and the Honourable incumbent Lok Sabha Speaker Shri Om Birla. The MIT School of Government, Bhartiya Chhatra Sansad, and Atulya Bharat Nirman Foundation are sharing the responsibilities to organize the conference.

A visioning exercise:

On 11 March 2023, some NLC Bharat's patrons, legislative assembly speakers, political leaders, bureaucrats, and industry heads congregated at the Jio World Convention Centre for a visioning exercise, aimed at charting the organization's future course. The discussion in this exercise was attended by Dr. Meira Kumar, Former Diplomat and Chancellor, Shri. Gian Chand Gupta, Hon’ble Speaker, Haryana Legislative Assembly, Shri. Ramesh Tawadkar, Hon'ble Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly, Shri. Prithviraj Chavan, Hon'ble MLA (INC, Karad South) and Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Shri. Dilip Walse Patil, Hon'ble MLA and Former Speaker, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, Shri. Rahul Narwekar, Hon'ble Speaker, Legislative Assembly Maharashtra, as well as other dignitaries. A media briefing was conducted by Shri Rahul V. Karad, Convenor, NLC Bharat, outlining the way forward for what is envisioned to be a pivotal moment in Indian polity.

“NLC is an attempt to cohesively build the nation,” said Shri Rahul V. Karad, Convenor, NLC Bharat. “All those present here and all those supporting us are the custodians of NLC Bharat. It is the result of a long-term vision. A platform that has participation from lawmakers from across parties and states can help strengthen our democracy.”

“Rahul Karad is a hardworking, young visionary with no political ambitions,” said Dr. Meira Kumar, Former Speaker, of Lok Sabha. “Let us support him in his mission to make NLC Bharat a great success.”

“As we all know, India’s strength lies in its diversity,” said Adv. Rahul Narwekar, Hon’ble Speaker, Maharashtra Legislative Assembly. “The multicultural and multilingual society that exists in India is unparalleled to any other country in the world. I believe that the diversity in legislative bodies across the country also contributes to the strength of this country and therefore, conferences like NLC Bharat, which shall embark upon tomorrow’s India’s foundations, are welcome and will certainly contribute immensely towards the creation of a new and stronger India.”

“The relationship between legislators has become bitter over time,” said Shri Satish Mahana, Hon’ble Speaker of, the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly. “I feel that this conference will reduce that bitterness amongst us. Ultimately, no matter what party you are from, our goal is the same: that we need to serve the people of our country.”