RS bids adieu to 72 retiring MPs; inspire coming generations, says PM

Sabha Semblance

• However, they are likely to be re-elected

• Sixty five speakers among those retiring

• Experience has more power than knowledge:PM

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha on Thursday bid an emotional farewell to 72 members, including A K Antony, P Chidambaram, Anand Sharma, Jairam Ramesh and Subramanian Swamy, whose terms are coming to an end, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging them to take their experience across the country. The terms of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi in the Upper House are coming to an end as well.

However, they are likely to be re-elected. Members cutting across party lines shared memories of their retiring colleagues and hoped that they would return to the House. While most MPs were emotional, there were some lighter moments as well. Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu asked the lawmakers to desist from disrupting law-making bodies while upholding the honour and privilege bestowed on them by people, while Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge emphasised that the numbers on the Opposition benches may be less, but they have strength in their argument.

Sixty five speakers, including those who are retiring, shared their experiences. The speakers included the chairman, the prime minister, the deputy chairman, the leader of the opposition, the floor leaders of nine other parties, 11 other members and 40 retiring Members. In the end, Goyal, who is the leader of the House, responded to the day-long proceedings. A total of 72 Rajya Sabha MPs, including seven nominated members, are retiring between March and July, which is one-third of the strength of the House. Among them, some may return to the Rajya Sabha.

The retiring members represent 19 states. Those retiring also include Ambika Soni, Kapil Sibal, Suresh Prabhu, Praful Patel, Prasanna Acharya, Sanjay Raut, Naresh Gujral, Satish Chandra Mishra, M C Mary Kom, Swapan Dasgupta and Narendra Jadhav. Chidambaram, Patel and Sibal were not present in the House when the prime minister, the chairman and the leader of opposition spoke in the morning session.

In his speech, Modi emphasised that experience has more power than knowledge and the MPs should take it forward in the service of the nation. "We may be moving out of these four walls, but we should take this experience from here to all the four directions in the best interests of the country," he said. He told the retiring members to come to the House again and to pen down their experiences. "I would want you to put in words the memories gained here to help serve as a reference point for the coming generations," Modi said. The House and the nation feel the loss and some sort of shortcomings in decision making for the coming generations when experienced colleagues retire, he added.

"When experienced people retire, a lot would be said about them in the House, but the responsibility of those remaining increases. The members who remain have to take forward the tales of experience left behind by those retiring," Modi said.