Exellent Speech From Sudha Murty, Raises 2 Major Key Issues in Rajya Sabha
Sudha Murty, in her inaugural address to the Rajya Sabha, highlighted two critical concerns.
Renowned philanthropist and author Sudha Murty, delivering her maiden speech in the Rajya Sabha, advocated for a state-backed vaccination initiative to combat cervical cancer. She also emphasized the promotion of domestic tourism. Murty, nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President on the eve of International Women’s Day, addressed the House on these pertinent issues.
Philanthropist and author Sudha Murty, in her first speech at the Rajya Sabha, urged for a government-led vaccination initiative against cervical cancer. She also advocated for the promotion of domestic tourism.
Congress MP Rajeev Shukla responded to Sudha Murty’s address during the Parliament session in New Delhi on July 2, 2024. (PTI)
“There exists a vaccination administered to girls aged nine to fourteen, specifically for cervical prevention. If girls receive this vaccination, it mitigates the risk of cancer… We must advocate for its widespread adoption among our girls because prevention outweighs treatment,” asserted Sudha Murty. She is the wife of Infosys co-founder Narayana Murty and the mother-in-law of UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
Exellent Speech For Sudhamurthy:
Quoting her father, the philanthropist remarked that while hospitals count a mother’s death as a statistic, for the family, it signifies an irreplaceable loss.
Sudha Murty commended the government’s substantial COVID-19 vaccination campaign and suggested that extending cervical vaccination to girls aged 9-14 wouldn’t be overly challenging.
Addressing the motion of thanks on the President’s Address, Sudha Murty highlighted that the cervical vaccine, in use in the West for the past two decades, has demonstrated efficacy. She added, “It’s reasonably priced at ₹1,400 presently. With governmental intervention and negotiation, this cost could potentially reduce to ₹700-800, benefiting a vast population of girls in the future.”
Rajeev Shukla, presiding over the session, urged Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to relay Sudha Murty’s message to the health minister.
Sudha Murty Talking on Tourism;
Discussing domestic tourism, Sudha Murty advocated for designating 57 domestic sites as World Heritage Sites. These include the Bahubali statue at Shravanabela Gola in Karnataka, the Lingaraja Temple, Unakoti rock carvings in Tripura, Shivaji forts in Maharashtra, Chausath Yogini temple in Mitawali, Lothal in Gujarat, and Gol Gumbad, among others.
“In India, we have 42 recognized World Heritage sites, but 57 sites await recognition… We should prioritize these 57 sites,” remarked Murty.
She further praised the architectural splendor of the temples in Srirangam.
Murty highlighted that despite their historical significance, a group of 2,500-year-old monuments in Sarnath remains excluded from the list of World Heritage Sites.
She noted that the design inspiration for the old Parliament Building was drawn from the ancient Chausath Yogini temple in Mitawali, Madhya Pradesh.