United Nations: Fifteen Members of Parliament representing India’s political and geographic diversity have joined the country’s delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, showcasing the breadth of India’s democracy.
The MPs paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at his statue on the UN campus on Monday before beginning their General Assembly assignments.
India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, P. Harish, who heads India’s UN Mission, briefed the MPs on the country’s engagement with the United Nations.
The MPs also met Assistant Secretary-General Kanni Wignaraja, who is the regional director for Asia and the Pacific, and discussed the work of the UN Development Programme in India.
During the meeting, they explored how parliamentarians can help advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.
MPs Begin UN General Assembly Assignments
The MPs immediately began their assignments representing India at the General Assembly.
Two BJP MPs, Banshilal Gurjar from Madhya Pradesh and C. P. Joshi from Rajasthan, addressed the Assembly in Hindi with simultaneous translation.
Gurjar addressed the Assembly’s Fifth Committee, which deals with budgetary and administrative matters, including the scale of assessments for the apportionment of UN expenses.
C. P. Joshi, who heads the Parliament Committee on Petitions, addressed the Second Committee, which deals with economic and financial matters.
Gumma Thanuja Rani, a YSR Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh, spoke in English on the organisation of work at the Fifth Committee.
15 MPs Represent Different Regions and Parties
Traditionally, MPs reinforce India’s presence at the General Assembly during the months after its new session begins in September.
There are six BJP MPs in the delegation. Besides Joshi and Gurjar, they are Mahima Kumari Mewar from Rajasthan; Biplab Kumar Deb, BJP national general secretary from Tripura; Vishweshwar Hegde Kageri from Karnataka; and Sikander Kumar from Himachal Pradesh.
The two Congress MPs in the delegation are Rahul Kaswan from Rajasthan and Anil Kumar Yadav from Telangana.
The others are L.K. Sudhish of the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam from Tamil Nadu; Asit Mal of the Trinamool Congress from West Bengal; Samajwadi Party’s Priya Saroj from Uttar Pradesh; Lovely Anand of the Janata Dal (United) from Bihar; Sanjay Yadav of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, also from Bihar; and Rajabhau Waje of the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) from Maharashtra.