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The
serial disruption of the Parliament has caused anger and anguish all over.
While some people have been condemning the Congress for its thoughtless
blocking of all business in the Upper House others have been blaming even the
BJP – the ruling combine- of doing the same when the UPA was at the helm. If
one comes to think of it, the politicians of all shades are the same. They only
have craving for power and, if they cannot corner it, they would not allow
those in power to govern. BJP, quite seemingly, is getting paid back in its own
coin.
With
the continued disruption of the two houses questions have already been asked
about the relevance of the Parliament where no work is done. People have sent
their representatives to this national constitutional body to legislate and
work on their behalf. If that is not done where would be the rationale to
constitute a parliament that is adjourned day after day on account of the uproar
created by the elected representatives. In several sections of people
disruptions are being reckoned as anti-democratic – harmful for democracy that
has been so assiduously nursed and nurtured in the country. If the proceedings
are blocked serially from one day to another and legislative work is hampered
it certainly would be damaging to the faith of people in the Parliament and its
legitimacy.
In
a recent statement, even the Vice President, the Chairman of the Upper House
has expressed his fear that people would lose faith in the Parliament if the
disruptions continue. He has cited several reasons relating to the conduct of
members that has given rise to misgivings in the minds of people who form the
electorate. The Chairman cited, inter alia, criminal antecedents of members,
dispensing favours by them for a consideration, spurt in assets after being
elected, defections and electoral malpractices are what, he said, were eroding
the faith of people in parliamentary democracy. This is further accentuated by
indiscipline exhibited by members in the House, the daily uproar like that in a
fish market that renders the Parliament ineffective to carry out its business.
“All
is not well that ends up in the well (of the House)”. This is how the Chairman
described the members’ indiscipline that is frequently witnessed in the two
houses. Now the members have even graduated to carrying placards inside the
House with slogans written on them as if it is a tussle or fight between a
trade union and management. Worse is shouting of slogans inside the House. One
recalls even as the Prime Minister was replying to the debate on the
President’s address there were people of the Opposition constantly raising
slogans right through the PM’s speech. Curiously, no cognizance was taken of
this constant distraction by the leader of the Congress Party or the Speaker. If
the Opposition was unhappy with the government there certainly were more decent
ways of expressing them instead of trying to drown the PM’s speech in the racket
and din of slogans. Causing disturbance or obstructing PM in his speech is
highly reprehensible for the PM is head of the government who has been elected
by a majority. He can in no way be
prevented from speaking his mind. Doing so is highly indecorous and unmannerly.
The
Chairman’s own party is not quite innocent in this matter. Regardless of their
all justifications, they too shouted and hollered to subdue the voices of the
government when they were in Opposition. It has always been said that
disruptions are what the Opposition will always attempt; it is the
responsibility of the government to run the houses. That would mean while the
Opposition would try its best to block proceedings the government should try
and run the house. How can that be possible? If civilised debate cannot resolve
the issues, should the government and the Opposition settle the matter after a
physical duel? That is unthinkable in a democratic set up.
Only
solution would seem to be to take strong action against those small numbers of
people who choose to make avoidable and needless disturbances and keep them out
of the House. That unfortunately cannot be done for the simple reason the chairpersons
of the legislative houses have no such specific powers. He/she, it seems, can name
a member for his undesirable behavior and on being so named such a member is
expected to immediately withdraw from the House. That seldom happens in these
days of falling standards of civic behavior. Recourse to use of marshals is seldom taken.
In fact, the chairpersons have not been given
any specific punitive power to maintain a semblance of a standard of behavior.
At the same time they have the power to run the houses smoothly and efficiently,
a wider interpretation of which perhaps, can be taken recourse to in extreme
cases. The Constitution was framed in civiilised times when members were
cultured and decent. It probably never occurred to the framers of the
Constitution that a day might dawn on this land when the speakers of the
several houses would need a whip to crack at elected representatives. The
constitution makers probably never imagined that uncouth dregs and uncultured louts
would be offered tickets for elections to the august bodies and, worse, they
would even be elected
It
is needless to emphasise that standards of behavior of the members have fallen
over the years. Gone are the days of decent gentlemanly debates over matters on
which the opposition had an utterly different view. Yet the members never
crossed the line and maintained the dignity of the House as also their own. The
first few parliaments were constituted of the finest of Indians who were highly
civilized intellectual giants.
Nonetheless,
in spite of the severe constraints the speakers of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu
assemblies suspended practically the entire opposition for unruly behaviour and
obstructing the proceedings. Although the action was criticized in the press as
suspension of the entire opposition would tend to be anti-democratic. A house
without an opposition cannot represent all interests of the people. But when
the opposition opposes for the sake of opposition and does not allow the
government to have its business conducted stern action would seemingly be
necessary.
With efflux of time the standards fell and it
is now plumbing the depths. The current Chairman of the Upper House has had
occasion to mention that political parties have a responsibility to ensure
people of proper antecedents are selected for being elected to legislative
houses. If the Opposition is faulted on this score, the ruling party ought to
equally be blamed. Their rough and crude quality has been revealed in several
fracases in different legislative assemblies. When the objective is to wrest
power at any cost quality of candidates is perhaps never in the reckoning.
A
day has now come when imploring a member disturbing the proceedings to sit down
or keep quiet doesn’t quite work. What works is punitive action – an action
that hurts a member’s image as well as his finances. It is, therefore, time now
for the hammer to fall to keep and nurse the faith of people in democracy and
democratic values. For too long have we been witness to the politics of the
bizarre. By any stretch of imagination, disruption of the Parliament for almost
three weeks is a bit too much.
28th
March 2018
(The article was published in the last week of last month Indian News Features Alliance (INFA), New Delhi)
*Photo from internet
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