Political Diary
New Delhi, 8 August 2015
‘Suspended’ Monsoon
Session
DROWNED IN MPs
ONSLAUGHT
By Poonam I Kaushish
Yawn! We have been through all this before. Of how
Parliament is increasingly becoming a tamasha
wherein crores of tax payers’ money is being swept away by the verbal
torrent of tu-tu-mein-mein leading to
walk-outs and pandemonium. The ongoing Monsoon session is no different: Washed
out by repeated adjournments of both Houses over Lalitgate and Vyapam scandal resulting
in suspension of 25 Congress MPs for five days. Underscoring how this temple of
democracy is being used to score petty political points. Upholding the best
tenets of Parliamentary democracy, what?
Predictably, all hell broke loose. A stunned Sonia Gandhi called
it a “black day for democracy” and sat in dharna
along-with son Rahul, ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the ‘suspended’
MPs in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament’s premises. In solidarity nine
Opposition Parties like NCP, DMK, Trinamool too kept away from the Lok Sabha
worsening a bitter stand-off and dimming chances of key Bills being passed this
session.
Not a few would dismiss these outrageous happenings as an
exercise in political one-upmanship between the BJP-led NDA and Congress-led
UPA. The former drawing blood and the latter battling for regaining lost
ground. At another, the fracas in both Houses over the resignation sleaze throw
up basic questions in regard to the quality and character of our democracy and Parliament’s
sovereignty representing the will of the people.
Raising a moot point: Is it fair to suspend MPs who create
bedlam because the Government refuses to accede to their demand for Ministerial
resignations? Is it just to deny voters representation via their elected
representatives even for a day? Shouldn’t a Minister be allowed to make a
statement? Is suspension the answer for breaking a logjam? Doesn’t cooperation
work better than confrontation?
True, the archaic Rules of Business allow suspension of MPs.
And both BJP-Congress are equally guilty having abused this rule in the past.
The Congress-led UPA suspended 18 Right Honourables (majority being Partymen)
for unruly behaviour and creating hubbub over the Telengana issue and during
Rajiv Gandhi’s tenure when then Speaker Balram Jakhar suspended 56 MPs. At the
same time, it more as an exception rather than a rule.
The BJP too is a culprit. Times out of number it has disrupted
Parliament. The 2012 monsoon session over Coalgate and 2010 winter session on
2G scam were non-starters. Justifying its misdemeanour by asserting, “Stalling
Parliament is also a form of democracy.” Again, it stalled the Women
Reservation Bill on the fallacious plea it be taken up without ejecting MPs
supporting it. Sic.
However, this is the first time suspension is being used as
a political weapon per se to isolate
only the Congress. Remember, the TRS MPs too were in the well of the House but
were left untouched by the Speaker, for reasons best known to her. Never mind,
they continued coming to the well of the House on subsequent days also.
If Speaker Sumitra Mahajan hoped to emphasize she was no
pushover, meant business and would not hesitate to crack the whip again, not
many seemed to buy her line. As her action had Modisque stamped all over it and
was reminiscent of the Gujarat Assembly model. Infamous for the Opposition
being suspended for the entire duration of an Assembly session to ensure the
House’s smooth running.
Undeniably a Government that can make peace with Naga
militants and break bread with bête noire
Pakistan
can also extend a hand to the Opposition to ensure Parliament runs smoothly.
Our Right Honourables need to remember there are wasting the tax payers money
in their ego battles, pettyfoggeries and one-upmanship.
Already, Rs nearly 70 crores has been lost due to the
deadlock given that it costs Rs 1.5 crores per hour to run each House. The
contempt our MPs have for Parliament can be gauged from the fact that when
queried, about foregoing this session’s pay packet, including the Rs 2000 daily
allowance, a majority of MPs’ said “No way. It is our birthright.” Thereby,
collectively affixing their seal of approval on political harlotry of the worst
kind.
Undoubtedly, it is nobody’s case that by not allowing
Parliament to function our polity is making a mockery of the institution,
reducing its importance and relevance. But what is disgusting and perturbing is
not that obstructionism is becoming more the rule rather than exception, but
that our polity largely continues to drift along smugly without any shame,
desire to turn a new page and prevent its crumble.
They need to realize they have been elected and paid
handsomely to do a job. The country is today in the throes of challenges, increasing
social and economic tensions. In addition, there are forces within and without
eager to destabilise India
and disrupt its unity and integrity which calls for reasoned debate. Yet,
members have made it a habit of rushing into the well of the House and prevented
discussion by holding the House to ransom. All spewing sheer contempt.
Alas, ruthless politics has taken over whereby discussions
and debates have largely lost their meaning. We have settled for size and not
content wherein supremacy of Parliament seems to have been replaced with the
‘to the streets’ bugle. Numbers alone matter and have become the criteria of
success. Bringing things to such a pass that pursuit of power, pelf and
patronage is replacing law making and Parliamentary proceedings have little
material bearing on the course of politics.
The monsoon session has posed a question: The issue is not just of our MPs’ making ones presence
felt by muscle-flexing or even intolerance of another’s point of view. It is
about upholding the highest standards of morality, credibility and dignity of
Parliament. The MPs are servants of the people, not their masters.
What next? The time has come for all MPs to see how they can
strengthen Parliamentary democracy before people begin to mock at it in sheer
disgust. One way is that on policy matters and legislative business the
Treasury and Opposition Benches should rise above sectarian political loyalties
and be guided more by what the country needs, the sense of the House than the
rule book.
Thus, our leaders need to heed voices of reason. Tying up
Parliament in trivia, sans business does not behove the world’s largest
democracy. Time to change the rules, perhaps, bring Parliament under ESMA
(Essential Services Management Act) wherein disrupting its functioning will
become an offence.
If Parliament is to function the Government and Opposition
have to bury the hatchet of distrust. The Treasury and Opposition benches are
two sides of the democratic coin and must ensure orderly debate, discussion and
functioning. Parliamentary democracy succeeds only when the rules of the game
are followed honestly. Basically, the
Opposition must have its say, even as the Government has its way. Else, it will
lose its credibility and prestige. Worse, become redundant and irrelevant.
Time for our MPs to stop scoring petty political points
against each other and remember Parliament works as a bulwark of democracy… It
has also a very heavy task of keeping an image that will gain it the faith and
respect of the people. Because, if that is lost, then one does know what will
happen later. Modi needs to realize that the law of majority has no place.”
What gives? ----- INFA
(Copyright,
India News and Feature Alliance)
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