The 21st
Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference is being held in New Delhi from October 28
to November 4, 1975.
The Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association is an Association of Commonwealth Parliamentarians,
who irrespective of race, religion or culture, are united by community of
interest, respect for the rule of law and the rights and freedoms of the
individual citizen, and by pursuit of the positive ideals of parliamentary
democracy. The Association aims to promote understanding and co-operation among
Commonwealth Parliamentarians and also to promote the study of and respect for
parliamentary institutions throughout the Commonwealth. These objectives are
pursued by means of conferences, exchange of Parliamentary delegations and
seminars.
The Association,
founded in 1911, has evolved with the Commonwealth. Starting as the Empire
Parliamentary Association, it changed its name in 1948 to the Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association. It is composed of Branches formed in Legislatures in
Commonwealth countries. The Association has now over 90 Branches as its Members
in Legislatures of the Commonwealth countries. Every Branch is autonomous and
its affairs are controlled by an Executive Committee elected annually by
Members and representatives of all main parties and groups. The Members of the
Legislature in which a Branch is formed are entitled to become Members of that
Branch. The Presiding Officers of the Legislative Chambers are normally the
Branch Presidents.
Prior to India's
independence, the Central Legislative Assembly was a Member of the Empire
Parliamentary Association. It ceased to function as the India Branch after
August 15, 1947. In 1949, India renewed her membership following the change in
the name and the constitution of the Association. Besides the India Branch
which is the main Branch of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association at the
Centre, there are at present nineteen State Branches in the States viz.
Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu &
Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Nagaland,
Orissa, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.
The Commonwealth
Parliamentary Association holds its plenary conference in a different
Commonwealth country each year. This is the second time that this conference is
being held in India, the first having been held in 1957.
Dr. G. S. Dhillon,
M.P., Speaker of Lok Sabha who is the President of Commonwealth Association is
presiding over this conference.
India is proud to
play host to this Conference. The Posts and Telegraphs Department of the
Government of India has great pleasure in commemorating the occasion by issuing
a postage stamp on October 28, 1975 to mark the inauguration of the Conference.
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