Speaker Om Birla highlights India-Sri Lanka ties, women-led development during meeting with Lankan delegation

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on Monday underscored the centuries-old civilisational, cultural, and spiritual ties between India and Sri Lanka, stating that the shared Buddhist heritage of the two nations continues to strengthen bilateral relations and deepen people-to-people engagement.

Birla made the remarks during an interaction with a delegation of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus of Sri Lanka at Parliament House in New Delhi. The delegation was led by Saroja Savithri Paulraj.

Advertisement

‎According to a statement issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat, the Speaker said regular parliamentary exchanges between India and Sri Lanka had infused “fresh momentum” into ties between the legislatures of the two countries and enhanced mutual understanding.
‎Referring to his recent meeting with a Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation headed by S. M. Marikkar, Birla expressed satisfaction with the increasing engagement between lawmakers of both nations. “India and Sri Lanka are bound by deep civilizational, cultural, and spiritual ties that have evolved over centuries,” Birla said, adding that the common Buddhist heritage remains the bedrock of the friendly relationship shared by the two neighbours.

‎Emphasising the growing role of women in India’s democratic and governance framework, Birla said the country had moved from the idea of “women’s development” to “women-led development”.
‎“Women are now active participants in every sphere of governance and nation-building — from the electoral process to policy-making and leadership roles,” he said, citing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that development driven by women creates a more inclusive and sustainable society.

‎The Lok Sabha Speaker also highlighted the passage of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, which provides 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies, calling it a historic milestone in India’s democratic evolution.
‎He further noted that several Indian states had implemented 50 per cent reservation for women in local self-government institutions, leading to the emergence of more than 1.4 million elected women representatives in Panchayats and urban local bodies across the country.

Birla also stressed the importance of Self-Help Groups in advancing women’s economic empowerment, particularly in rural India, and said initiatives such as the Lakhpati Didi scheme were helping women become financially self-reliant while encouraging entrepreneurship.

‎During the meeting, Paulraj thanked Birla for the warm reception accorded to the Sri Lankan delegation and said the visit had offered important insights into India’s initiatives related to women-led entrepreneurship, Self-Help Groups and digital commerce.
‎She also conveyed gratitude to the Government of India for extending support to Sri Lanka during difficult periods, including the COVID-19 pandemic and natural disasters such as Cyclone Ditwa.
The interaction took place amid ongoing efforts by India and Sri Lanka to strengthen bilateral engagement through parliamentary diplomacy and cooperation in areas such as democratic participation and women’s empowerment.