SANTACRUZ PATRIKA

Stalling of Parliament, a shame on democracy 

Indian parliaments, both at the center and in the states, are characterised by repeated disruptions that appear to interfere with their ability to serve as forums for the translation of public sentiment into public policy. The question asked is “How can India be considered ‘the world’s largest democracy’ when parliamentary Institutions appear dysfunctional?”  If the legislatures of a country do not function properly, then that country is not a democracy.  India’s legislatures do not function properly. Therefore, India is not a democracy. This conclusion, though, contradicts the widely held belief that India is the world’s largest democracy. Parliament is the highest forum the people have chosen for voicing their views, and if they are silenced their democracy is silenced as much as it may be by a dictator. The virus of the discord which breaks out in that ‘well’ so often is spreading throughout the polity. It is depriving Indian democracy of its life-saving quality, that it has hitherto been consensual by nature.

In most countries where democracy has been smothered, only military dictators have dissolved and locked up Parliaments. Is the world’s largest democracy going to have the ignominy of its Parliament being shut down by veteran parliamentarians themselves? Paralysing House proceedings does not solve any problem. In the long run, it will only affect the credibility of Parliament as an institution. It is a disservice to democratic governance to bring Parliament to a grinding halt, paralyse its working and hold it to ransom unless demands, however justified, are met. If the institutions of democracy fail, democracy itself will fail.

The tactic of the BJP along with other Opposition parties in obstructing and stalling the Parliament proceedings is only a foul means adopted to achieve what they cannot achieve by fair means, apart from being a grossly undemocratic way of rendering a duly-elected and constituted Parliament dysfunctional. The second is to demonstrate power, by the ability to act forcefully. It seems to be an attempt to use the issue for a purpose other than its advancement. In this case, the stimulus is a pretext for the demonstration of power. Very few of the disruptions seem spontaneous, though some cases are more obviously carefully planned than others.

The Constitution secures to a Member of Parliament unfettered right to speak and vote but this is not a licence to interrupt or frustrate the proceedings of the institution rendering it powerless. The disruption of legislative bodies in India has changed the status of legislators and the popular view of legislative bodies. Today, Parliament and Legislatures create a new breed of heroes—the Well-rushing heroes, who hope to be elevated to instant national fame, straight from the Well of the House. The image which Parliament and the State Legislatures have projected on the public mind is one of disruption, indecorum, and shouting matches.” Democracy is the single most important achievement of independent India, a political miracle. We are among the few countries who have translated independence for our country into freedom for our people. Parliament is the symbol of that miracle. Parliament is the ultimate guarantor of the continuation and strengthening of our democracy. India does not have one authorized meaning of democracy, nor does it have any single set of practices that constitute ‘democracy’. Instead, democracy in India involves numerous claims and counterclaims, a bewildering web of contestations.

Ever since the United Progressive Alliance formed the government at the centre, the NDA is not able to get over its defeat and in the process has been acting like childish urchins and holding the nation to ransom. Defeat should be accepted in dignity and glory. Stalling the normal functioning of the House and abusive of the chair is nothing but a blatant subversion of democracy.  In democracy, the opposition by passing the Finance Bill without any debate or discussion amounts to a constitutional impropriety and a shame on Indian democracy. The most critical legislation, such as the budgets, gets passed, but often without debate. For example, a report on the 2001 Lok Sabha noted and opined that “The continued stand-off between the government and the opposition benches led to the travesty of parliamentary practice - the Railway budget was passed by a hurried voice vote – which was seen by many as a mockery of the Parliament, its main aims and procedures. Then was passed the Finance bill in the same way as the railway budget.”   These are simply examples of a trend. Regardless of whether it is or isn’t justified there is little doubt that such stalling of Parliament amounts to a grave abuse of the concept of democracy as Mahatma Gandhi had propounded it – a day of penance, self-introspection and soul-cleansing. The Gandhi premise was that acts of self-abnegation and renunciation in the face of others’ wrong doings would surely shame the errant side into reconsidering its decisions.

Unfortunately, denunciatory thoughts are furthest from the minds of the propents of the present boycott. Quite the contrary, the acquisitive instinct at its basest is at work here. It is of course, unexceptionable for citizens to harbour political ambitions. Opinions may differ, however, on the best to go about fulfilling such ambitions. The least one can expect is that the respective contenders clearly enunciate their political philosophies and take definite stands on points of principle. But in the confused milieu, clouded as it is by pernickety personality problems, principle has been relegated to the backseat. True the main debate centers on ‘tainted ministers’. But since there are no two opinions that crime and corruption are bad, there is no issue of principle here, which warrants a debate. Instead, the focus has been moved to debating whether specific individuals are guilty of crime or corruption. And in an impious situation where proof is as scarce as rhetoric is profuse, and biblical injunctions on casting stones stand brusquely ignored, tenets of morality, ethics and principle are natural causalities.

It must be made clear, of course, that all the players in the arena are equally guilty of gross malfeasance. Sobriety has been thrown to the winds. Dialogues are conducted through carp and bark instead of conversation. Standards of public conduct have truly reached their post-independence nadir. Nevertheless, all hope for propriety in public life is not yet lost. The recent sacking of Ashok Chavan, Raja and the likely arrest of Suresh Kalmadi is an eye-opener. But, the blackmailing of tainted Karnataka Chief Minister B.S Yeddyurappa, should make the opposition realize that they are no better. Earlier when in power BJP leaders L.K.Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi held crucial portfolios in the NDA government despite charge sheets against them in the Babri Masjid demolition case. It’s high time the opposition realises that one living in glass houses should not throw stones at others and instead respect the verdict of the people.

What we are seeing…is the biggest crime against democracy since Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency in 1975. Democracy is the lifeline of the whole system. Snap it, and the entire system will collapse, and that will hurt no one more than it will hurt the very people who need the system most. For them this is the only place where they can plead their case, lacking as they do the many other levers which others can use to bend Governments to their wishes.

People outside the Houses of Parliament actually ridicule the institution that it has become today. Is this the legacy that this current House wishes to leave behind? A legacy of indecency, of indecision and of inexcusable behaviour. One in which the focus is more on exchanging angry words rather than debating legislation? The general public at one time looked up to Parliament. It had what one would term social sanction. Today it suffers from social ostracisation. And that is something that will destroy this institution as time goes by, and this is what perhaps you need to stem. The consequence has been that the leaders have lost credibility. That a great deal of disruption arises from the reluctance and procrastination of the leaders to face the House on controversial matters. Growing criminalization of politics, corruption at all levels, absence of inner party democracy, the declining status and stature of members in public life, the growing cost of the electoral process, the ascendancy of party leaders are some other factors that have contributed to the decline of Parliament

Concluding, as noted, the skills required in a parliament where the ability to disrupt is highly valued are not the same as the skills required in a parliament where such an ability is not highly valued. An author rightly opined, “Our legislatures have ceased to be forums of the best and the brightest in the land. Instead, they have become the first refuge of scoundrels.” He cynically contended that “Before Independence we had great parliamentarians, but no Parliament. Today we have a grand Parliament House with grand allowances, but no parliamentarians. There is the story of Independence in two sentences.”