Spotlight
New
Delhi, 1 April, 2018
Parliament Disruptions
TIME FOR HAMMER TO FALL
By Proloy Bagchi
The serial disruption of Parliament has
caused anger and anguish all over. While some people have been condemning the Opposition,
including 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 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 Parliament and its legitimacy.
In a recent statement, even the Vice
President, Chairman of the Upper House has expressed his fear that people would
lose faith in Parliament if 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
in the House, the daily uproar like that in a fish market that renders
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. Now the members have even graduated to carrying
placards inside the House with slogans written 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 Opposition members constantly raising slogans
right through his 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 these instead of
trying to drown the PM’s speech in the racket and din of slogans. Causing
disturbance or obstructing 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 all their 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 civilised times when members
were cultured and decent. It probably never occurred to the Constitution framers
that a day might dawn on this land when Speakers of several Houses would need a
whip to crack at elected representatives. The Constitution makers probably
never imagined that uncouth 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 civilised intellectual
giants.
Nonetheless, in spite of the severe
constraints, Speakers of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu Assemblies suspended
practically the entire Opposition for unruly behaviour and obstructing the
proceedings. Although the action was criticised in the media 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 Parliament for almost three weeks is a bit too much. --- INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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