Kerala Legislators Reunite, Call for Change in Legislative Process

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For former speakers and legislators, this Kerala Piravi proved an opportunity for reunion. On Sunday, they came together at the Legislative Assembly to reminisce about their experiences and share memories. Former legislators from across the state gathered at the event organised as part of the 70th anniversary celebrations of the formation of Keralam, and called for more discussions and broader public consultation before bills are passed. V M Sudheeran, senior Congress leader and former speaker, cited the example of the state’s first Legislative Assembly, in which no session was disrupted, and said that no law should be made without discussion. “Earlier, there used to be several rounds of discussions and consideration of public opinion before passing a bill. However, once the subject committee was introduced, many bills have been passed without adequate discussions. The system should change,” Sudheeran said. Speaker Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishanan, who presided over the event, said the state should also have a state song, like the national song, and steps should be taken to introduce a Kerala Geetham. For many of them, it was a revisit to the assembly after decades. “I was elected to the assembly from Thrissur in 1982. I worked with Nayanar, A K Antony, K Karunakaran, Oommen Chandy and V S Achuthanandan,” said Therambil Ramakrishnan, who served as the speaker of the state assembly twice. Former speakers N Shaktan, M B Rajesh and A N Shamseer were among those who spoke at the event.