New Delhi, 3 May 2005

 Democracy At Stake

PARLIAMENT GETS TAINTED

By Poonam I Kaushish

Guess who said the following? “They are like animals. They are disorganized, do not have any sense of etiquette, have double standards. They are everything our parents and teachers don’t want us to be. It’s their behaviour that makes India look like a country of hooligans. So busy are they with their squabbles, where do they get time to look at what’s bothering the common man. Is this how they are supposed to behave?”  

Yes, this is Generation X on our polity. The telling remark says it all. A sad reflection, indeed, of the depth to which India’s democracy has fallen. Transgressing all limits of political and public decency. If proof was needed, the second half of the budget session of Parliament amply provided it. For the second year in a row, the demand for grants of various Ministries aggregating Rs 1,152,521 crore were passed without any debate in a disgraceful record of barely five minutes last Wednesday. Thanks to the Opposition’s boycott of both Houses (and all parliamentary committees) for three days last week. Again for the second time.

A culmination of year-long bitter Parliamentary discourse, walkouts, adjournments, even near fist-cuffs between the ruling UPA and the BJP-led NDA opposition to “protest the Government’s behaviour with the Opposition and the continuation of ‘tainted’ Railway Minister Laloo Yadav in the Cabinet”. In a harsh three-page statement, the NDA accused the UPA of adopting a “vindictive, confrontationist and hostile attitude.” It also charged the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with “practicing the worst kind of political opportunism, brushing aside all moral principles, scruples and democratic propriety.” Later bemoaned Leader of the Opposition Advani: “They treat us as enemies.”

Amidst all this high “tainted” drama, the Prime Minister has talked eloquently of the need for the country to evolve “new guidelines and new standards” about “who should be a Minister and who is a tainted Minister.” Wise words, indeed. But let us not be fooled. He virtually said the same thing in his customary address to both Houses of Parliament at end of the first session last year. He then spoke of a code of conduct for political parties to enable Parliament to function smoothly and meaningfully. But none paid any heed. A year down the line the phraseology alone has changed. Is a code really the answer? Not at all. A basic code of conduct already exists for both Houses. But no one follows it. In fact, only last month Rajya Sabha MP Karan Singh placed on the table of the House, the latest Ethics Committee report, listing out fresh do’s and don’ts for our Right Honourables.

Arguably, does one need guidelines for speaking the truth and not telling lies? To condemn and shun criminalization of politics? To denounce the use and abuse of money and muscle power? To shun the tainted? Not induct corrupt ministers into the Cabinet, notwithstanding the much-touted Prime Ministerial prerogative. No, a big no. Glib talk of new guidelines is merely a cover up for inaction and sinful compromises. As the unbeatable proverb succinctly asserts: If there is a will, there is a way.

Look it this way. We have adopted the Westminster model of Parliamentary democracy. Britain has no written Constitution, guidelines or code of conduct. Yet good, honest governance and parliamentary propriety and probity are dictated by healthy and time-tested conventions. The moment there is even a hint of a misdemeanor by a Minister or MP he goes. None waits for a charge-sheet. Once Churchill’s War Minister felt constrained to resign for accepting no more than a couple of bottles of wine bottle!

Importantly, the Prime Minister has unfortunately ignored that the issue of “tainted” Ministers is not of concern only to the BJP or the NDA, as made out. It is an issue which gravely concerns every thinking Indian as it exposes our moral and political bankruptcy. There is no shame, no guilt and no remorse for legitimizing crime and corruption at the highest level. Sadly, it is also playing merry hell with India’s image as a great, old civilization and the world’s largest democracy.

The Prime Minister has explained away this shameless compromise with basic values as the “compulsion of coalition politics.” Ostensibly, the present Government cold not have been formed without Laloo Yadav and the RJD MPs. So what? Should the formation of the Government take precedence over what is morally correct? Would Parliament be strong if say Dawood or Telgi were to be elected MPs? Would we accept the Prime Minister exercising his so-called prerogative to induct Dawood into his Cabinet? Would we accept this as “compulsion of coalition politics?” The heaven’s would not have fallen had the Congress stood for its traditional and sacred moral values. At worst, it would not have formed the Government, leading perhaps, to a Constitutional impasse and even fresh elections.

Has the unprincipled and immoral pursuit of ends stirred anyone’s conscience? Tragically “No”. All parties harbour criminals. Who can ever forget the sight of an MP who was brought chained by the police to Parliament House where his handcuffs were removed, so that he could attend the House proceedings, and then put back for being taken to Tihar jail.  Prior to that, he had to seek the Court’s permission to attend Parliament.

As matters stands, there are over a dozen Right Honourables in the present Parliament who have criminal cases pending against them in various Courts. If this is the state of affairs in India’s high temple of democracy can the States be far behind. Bihar tops the list, with Madhya Pradesh, UP and Maharashtra close behind. A few years ago, a Bihar MLA, allegedly under the influence of alcohol, threatened the Speaker with a sten gun.

Over the years, the hold of criminals on the polity has become stronger. Pick any newspaper or magazine. It has stories galore about political misdemeanour and abuse of authority. At the last count, there were at least 40 MPs and 700 MLAs who were allegedly facing criminal charges, including theft, extortion, rape, dacoit and murder. These figures collated by the Election Commission are, however, just a tip of the iceberg. The number of politico-criminals roaming free at all levels is a lot more. Candidly, political goons have emerged as the biggest threat to society and the nation. Some of them (or their sons) even kidnap and rape, commit murder to cover their tracks, threaten the police to suppress evidence and make a mockery of the law and courts.

India’s great tragedy is that the very people charged with the responsibility of protecting and preserving our democracy have become its denigrators and destroyers. Wherein the rules of the game have changed recklessly without a thought to the future and a premium placed on immorality. The Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee laments the increasing criminalization of politics in a lecture last week and pertinently asked: why are the political parties not doing anything to remove this stigma. He also called on all concerned to ensure that Parliament functioned smoothly as the most important body representing the people.

Democracy and its institutions, such as Parliament, are no doubt important. But the moot point is: Are institutions more important than the nation and basic morality and probity in public life. Questionably, will recklessly prolificacy and criminalization be allowed to become the bedrock of our Parliamentary democracy?  Ultimately, the man behind the wheel matters as does his character and integrity. Remember, the great importance placed by Babasaheb Ambedkar on the quality and probity of India’s rulers. Said he: “A good Constitution in the hands of bad people becomes a bad Constitution and a bad Constitution in the hands of  good people becomes a good Constitution.”

Cleary if India’s democracy is  to survive, we have to think beyond holding periodic elections, putting a government in place and yelling from the roof tops that we have a live, vibrant and kicking democracy. We have to draw a lakshman rekha and ask ourselves: are we for a civilized form of democracy or are we for what President Giri aptly called a “democracy” of fixers and scroundrels? Our rulers have been elected to serve the people by honestly providing good governance and tackling issues of vital concern to them. They are paid hefty salaries and enjoy innumerable freebies and privileges. Yet there is no accountability. It is high time they face recall if they failed to deliver, as advocated by Loknayak JP and supported by the Speaker last week.

At the end the day, are we going to mortgage our conscience to corrupt and tainted leaders? How long are we going to allow myopic partisan politics to recklessly play havoc with India’s future? Democracy is not competition in Constitutional indecency and impropriety. Enough is enough!  ----INFA

(Copyright India News and Feature Alliance)

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