VIJAYAWADA: The Mock Assembly session held by school students on the premises of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly in the name of AP School Assembly, a first-of-its-kind initiative by the Education Department to mark the Constitution Day, evoked a good response with participation of 175 students from all the Assembly constituencies. The Assembly session was virtually witnessed by lakhs of students from across the State.
The performance of the students drew appreciation from Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Assembly Speaker Ch Ayyanna Patrudu, HRD and IT Minister Nara Lokesh and others.
The conduct of the Assembly proceedings by the students with exchange of heated arguments, and sarcastic remarks, and their spontaneity in raising the issues with relevant examples got applause. Praising the participation of students in the mock Assembly session, the Chief Minister said one should turn crises into opportunities to come forward in life. He said students excelled in performing their roles as MLAs in the session. Naidu said he became an MLA at the age of 28 years, and a minister at 30 years, and the Chief Minister at 45 years, and serving as the CM of AP for the fourth time.
Asserting that the responsibility of safeguarding the values of the Indian Constitution lies on every citizen of the country, Naidu said the Constitution scripted by BR Ambedkar not only guaranteed the rights but also provided responsibilities.
Explaining the greatness of the Constitution to students, the Chief Minister said it gave an opportunity to a chaiwala to become the Prime Minister and a tribal woman to be the President of India. “Everyone should follow the guidelines of the Constitution.
The Assembly sessions should focus on benefits to society, and not for abuse of each other. Girl students should face any situation boldly, and not be afraid of anyone,” he said.
Naidu said the country is marching forward under the able leadership of PM Narendra Modi, and emerged as the fourth largest economy and soon it will be the number one economy. Giving his personal example, Naidu said he used to study under kerosene lamp, and after becoming the Chief Minister brought power sector reforms. Now, people are able to produce power on their rooftops using solar schemes. He stressed the need for inculcating ethics among students and as part of it, the State government appointed Chaganti Koteswara Rao as an Advisor on “Students’ Ethics and Values”. Later, Naidu released ‘Constitution of India for Children’.
Addressing the students, Speaker Ayyanna Patrudu questioned how could the MLAs claim their salaries without attending the Assembly session, and how far it is justifiable. He explained the role of Assembly, and stated that the approval of Assembly is necessary for each and every action of the State government, including expenditure. He congratulated Lokesh for organising the programme, which is aimed at bringing awareness among lakhs of students on the functioning of Assembly.
Lokesh shared an emotional moment, recalling how he carried a copy of the Constitution during his Yuvagalam Padayatra to assert his fundamental rights when he was stopped by police. “This copy of the Constitution is very sentimental to me,” Lokesh said.
“When I started the Yuvagalam Padayatra, I carried it with me - and there’s a very interesting reason for that.”
He explained that during the padayatra, when some police personnel obstructed him, he quoted the Constitution to remind them of his rights.
“I showed them Article 19 - the Right to Freedom,” he said, reading from the book “Every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression, to assemble peacefully, to form associations or unions, to move freely across India, to reside anywhere, and to pursue any profession or occupation.”
Lokesh said the incident made a deep impact on him. “That day, I made a decision. Whether I become the Education Minister or not, children must learn from a young age about the rights and responsibilities our Constitution gives them. That is why even today I carry this book with pride.”
He emphasised that Constitution Day serves as a reminder to uphold democratic values, safeguard freedom, and ensure every citizen understands the power and responsibility that come with rights.