The Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Om Birla, made a historic tour of the UK this week – the first by a Speaker of the Lower House of the Indian Parliament to Britain in 17 years. During a community reception hosted in his honour at the High Commission of India in London, Indian High Commissioner to the UK Vikram Doraiswami welcomed Birla who went on to hail the many contributions of the Indian diaspora in the UK and worldwide.
Addressing the gathering in Hindi, Birla said: "India is a land of festivals, religion, spirituality, and culture. You all may be away but your heart and culture are still with India.
“I am happy that because of your hard work, work efficiency, your excellency in all the work, India's name is echoing across the world.
“I met several high-level leaders in the UK and held talks. They also said the coming era is of India and the solution to challenges and problems faced by the world in the coming time will come from the people of India.
"I am happy that leaders in the UK have trust and belief in India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The trust that the world has in India is built due to the hard work of the Indians living across the world and the culture, culture of service, work culture, hard work, and contribution to the development of that nation.”
During his visit, Birla met with his UK counterpart – House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle, among other leaders.
“Highlighted India's distinction as the world's largest and most vibrant democracy, with a strong foundation at the grassroots level. Emphasised Election Commission of India's impressive track record of conducting free, fair, transparent, and impartial elections, ensuring the integrity of India's electoral process. Also mentioned about our focus on gender equality," he said following the meeting.
The Lok Sabha Speaker is on a five-day official UK visit covering England, Scotland and Guernsey.
He will conclude his UK tour on January 10, when he will chair the meeting of the Standing Committee of Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) in Guernsey, in his capacity as the host of the 28th CSPOC, which is scheduled to be held in India in 2026.
(*With ANI Inputs)
